Section Happenings COMPILED BY PHYLLIS WILBURN, CALIFORNIA
NOVELTY IRIS SOCIETY
Bonnie Nichols, President
The Novelty Iris Society’s program for the 2018 AIS
National Convention will be “Looking Back—Looking
Forward,” focusing on early novelty irises and a look into
what the future may hold. In addition to the program at
the Convention, there will be a live auction. We are happy
to announce a new flattie that will be introduced by the
Novelty Iris Society, named ‘Wichita Falls’. An early ordering
opportunity and a picture will be available in our spring
newsletter. We have submitted suggested updates for the
AIS Judge’s Handbook.
SOCIETY FOR PACIFIC COAST NATIVE
IRIS (SPCNI)
Kathleen Sayce, Secretary
The winter activity for the SPCNI is our annual seed
exchange, December 1–January 31. This year’s seed exchange
has only had a small number of donors. We need more
members to save seed from their gardens and contribute
to the exchange so that the society can continue to provide
this essential service to its members.
SIBERIAN IRIS SOCIETY
Bob Hollingworth, Editor
The Society for Siberian Irises, in conjunction with
Species Iris Group of North America (SIGNA), will hold the
Silver Anniversary Siberian and Species Convention May
25–26, 2018, in Hunt Valley, Maryland. This convention has
been held every three years since 1993 in Michigan. Almost
500 guest plants and five interesting gardens will be on the
tours. Registration forms and further details can be found
at the SSI website: socsib.org. If anyone might be interested
in hosting the next convention in 2021, please let us know—
planning for this will begin next spring.
The project to scan and digitize past issues of The
Siberian Iris is nearing completion. This goes all the way
back to the first issue in 1961 which was printed on a
mimeograph machine, a process invented by Thomas
Edison. The series provides a fascinating view of the
advances in Siberian breeding over almost 60 years and of
the hybridizers who created these advances.
SOCIETY FOR LOUISIANA IRIS (SLI)
Ron Killingsworth, Membership
The SLI is looking forward and working hard to welcome
everyone to the AIS/SLI convention in New Orleans, April
8–14, 2018. In addition, the group is updating the website
in hopes of being able to offer e-memberships in the near
future. Hard copy membership remains a great deal with
four issues of the colorful Fleur de Lis for only $17 a year.
TALL BEARDED IRIS SOCIETY (TBIS)
Phyllis Wilburn, Membership
TBIS is looking forward to its spring meeting, May 11–13,
2018, in Salem, OR in conjunction with the Region 13 Spring
Regional, hosted by the Oregon Trail Iris Society. There will
be three guest gardens, including Miller’s Manor Garden,
Mid-America Garden, and Schreiner’s. Guest speaker will
be Barry Blyth. Find details at tbisonline.com. Registration
is $95.
We have submitted suggested updates for the AIS
Judge’s Handbook for the Tall Bearded section.
HISTORIC IRIS PRESERVATION SOCIETY (HIPS)
Cathy Egerer, President
The restoration of a historic home often carries a
component of historic landscaping, as well. HIPS is working
with several restoration projects around the country to
locate varieties of historic iris needed to create an authentic
historic garden. One such project is the Brookby Estate
in Grand Rapids, Michigan. The house and gardens are
now owned by Aquinas College, and the original garden
was designed by Frederick Law Olmsted in the 1920s. The
original landscape designs still exist and the garden will be
one of only two Olmsted-designed gardens left in Michigan.
HIPS contributed two irises needed for the restoration,
‘Shekinah’ and ‘Lent A. Williamson’. Next spring, we hope to
send ‘Ambassadeur’, ‘Prosper Laugier’, and ‘Lord of June’.
A second garden restoration is underway in Salem,
Oregon, where the Lord & Schryver Conservancy is busy
with Gaity Hollow, the home and gardens of pioneering
landscape architects Elizabeth Lord and Edith Schryver.
HIPS will contribute historic irises to this project in the
spring of 2018. Information on the project can be found at
lordandschryverconservancy.org.
Historic landscape restoration is always on the HIPS
radar and we’re glad to assist projects like these. We’re
seeing an increase in requests from gardeners who want to
plant irises that match the age of their own home, too. This
is a fun way to create a historic garden on a personal level.
Need ideas? Contact HIPS at pr@historiciris.org—we’d love
to help.
‘Shekinah’
(Grace Sturtevant 1918, TB)
‘Lent A. Williamson’
(Williamson 1918, TB)
12 AIS Bulletin Winter 2018