‘Acadian Sky’ (Joe Musacchia 2017, LA) ‘Professor Marta Marie’ (Joseph Mertzweiller 1992, LA)
‘Melody Wilhoit’ (Hooker Nichols 2013, LA) ‘Little Woods’ (Pat O’Connor 2005, LA)
BATON ROUGE BOTANIC GARDEN
This garden originated with the efforts of the late
Joe Mertzweiller, a major hybridizer and guiding force
in SLI. We visited at peak bloom. Stunning here where
it earned the Marie Caillet Cup and the President’s
Cup was ‘Acadian Sky’ (Joe Musacchia 2017, LA). Also
garnering votes here as first runner-up for the Calliet
Cup was the older ‘Professor Marta Marie’ (Joseph
Mertzweiller 1992, LA). The Franklin Cook Cup winner
for Best Out-Of-Region iris, ‘Watermelon Wizard’
(Hooker Nichols 2011, LA) was doing well as were
Cindy Dufrene’s Best Seedling winner 4-22-14, ‘Melody
Wilhoit’ (Hooker Nichols 2013, LA), ‘Little Woods’ (Pat
O’Connor 2005, LA), and ‘Rooster’ (Ron Betzer 2014,
LA) with its yellow standards and rusty falls. When I
looked this up in the wiki I discovered that Betzer not
Musacchia (on the garden label) was the hybridizer.
This garden was tended by Claire Fontenot and she
was a delightful hostess.
‘Rooster’ (Ron Betzer 2014, LA)
We needed much more time in this great garden but
what a way to end our garden tours with hundreds of
irises in full glorious bloom. The good times rolled!
d
24 AIS Bulletin Summer 2018