Programs

These Programs are available for your club or organization from American Iris Society certified judges. 

Topics:

·        Tall Bearded Iris - How to Dig, Divide, & Plant - Slide shows on newer varieties, historic, seedlings, & novelty.

·         History of the Iris Species

·         Spuria - What, Where and How to Grow - Slide show of different varieties

·         Median Iris - The smaller, earlier blooming species - Slide show of different varieties

·         Iris Shows - How to enter horticulture (single stalks), English boxes, Educational displays, design category (artistic arrangements) - How do the judges evaluate the entries and give the ribbons.

·         Garden Judging of iris in the garden.

·         Awards and Ballots given and distributed by the American Iris Society

·         New and Exciting Hybridizing - Broken Color - Space-age iris with horns, flounces, and various extensions from the beard. Space-Age iris have an additional growth or appendage emanating from the fall at the end of the beard. Usually this turns upward, creating a "horn". Some varieties will have a horn that enlarges at the end creating a "spoon". And still others may be heavily split and laced making a "flounce".  Space Agers are named as such, because they came to prominence during the Space Age (i.e. the late 1970’s), but in fact have been around since man first started helping nature by doing some pollen-daubing of his own. What makes them so different from other iris is that the rib that extends from the end of the beard down the fall has lifted from its bed, curving up into a horn. Past hybridizers made crosses to enhance this characteristic, and initially managing to lengthen the horn, eventually succeeded in getting it to curve back on itself to form a hook, flattened the end to give a spoon, and even flattened the whole horn forming a flounce.

Midland Presenters:

·         Connie Ford, AIS Garden Judge since 2004, AIS member since 1995, Region 17 2008 Convention & Meeting Chair, West Texas Iris Society President, Permian Basin Iris Society Past President, WTIS & PBIS Past Show Chair.  CFord@basinabstract.com 432-520-6441

·         Debbie Strauss, AIS Master Judge since 2004, AIS member since 1981, AIS Garden Judge since 1984, AIS Region 17 Vice President 2008-2010, AIS Region 17 Assistant RVP 2005-2007, AIS Region 17 Youth Chair 2002-2004, WTIS and PBIS Past President and Past Show Chair.  dkstraus@swbell.net 432-697-6340

Lubbock Presenters:

Dana Brown  AIS Master Judge since 2003. Programs:  A Year in the Life of a Commercial Garden, Arils and Arilbreds, Awards and Ballots, Garden Judging of Medians, Garden Judging of Tall Bearded, Medians, Preparing for a Show, Spuria. 1506 S. Aspen Ave.  Lubbock, TX  79403806-746-6002 - ddbro@sbcglobal.net

Ramona Howard AIS Master Judge since 1986. Programs:  Arils and Arilbreds, Arrangements and Designs, Awards and Ballots, Garden Judging of Medians, Garden Judging of Tall Bearded, Louisiana, Medians, Preparing for a Show, Spuria. 3604-43rd Lubbock, TX  79413-3034  806-792-1878 - rhoward3604@sbcglobal.net