Newsletter: September 2004
SOUTH AUSTRALIAN IRIS SOCIETY Inc.
Editorial
The iris bloom season is here and it is time for those early morning wanders round the garden, coffee mug in hand, checking what has popped open during the night. It is so exciting to see the first bloom on a plant purchased last season and better still the first bloom on a seedling created two seasons before. It is the time of year when we all hope there will be no strong winds or hailstorms to damage the beautiful blooms we’ve waited so long to see and enjoy.
At this time of the year the most urgent jobs are weeding and snail and slug control. If the weather continues to be dry the iris will need to be watered to be at their best. Watering is best done with dripper lines as overhead spraying with chlorinated water can produce shriveled or rotted buds. Using spray-on snail deterrents can also cause buds to shrivel up and not open so use these carefully before the flower spikes appear.
From the Archives
From a 1991 newsletter comes the following article on showing iris reprinted from “Flowers for Show” Royal New Zealand Institute of Horticulture 1966 edition.
“BEARDED IRISES
Meritorious: Flowers which are large, with standards proportionate in size to the falls, carried upright on the branches. Standards of good substance, standing up boldly to meet or overlap and give domed or conical effect. Falls of good substance, broad (especially at the haft), rounded or oval, flaring or semi-flaring. Pleasing colour. A stem of a strength and thickness proportionate to the size of the flowers and the number of flowers opening at one time. Branches so spaced and of such a length that the flowers can open fully without interfering with one another and stand clear of the main stem.
Defective: Flowers which are small, badly proportioned or not upright. Standards which are flimsy or floppy, open or flattened at the top, blistered or rough. Falls which are flimsy or which droop, or which are pointed or narrow or widely separated, or pinched in below the haft. Dull or muddy colours, or striation if it impairs the colour effect. Stems which are weak or very short, or which branch so high as to bunch the flowers, or which have branches which knuckle into or hug the stem.”
In nearly forty years nothing much has changed in the selection of a good show iris!!
Get well wishes
John Turner recently spent six days in the Noarlunga Hospital undergoing surgery. He is now home and recovering well. John reports that the staff at Noarlunga were wonderful and really looked after him well. He hopes to be back on light work in the garden in November and in the meantime is enjoying observing the spring blooms in his back yard. He sends a thankyou to the Iris Society for the get well card featuring a bearded iris which was much appreciated. John also reported that prior to going to hospital he visited the Pennington gardens where there were light blue iris blooming. Several days later he visited again and all the blooms he had seen on the previous visit had been totally removed. Someone obviously liked them.
South Australian Iris Society
Minutes September 9th 2004
Apologies: Pat Toolan, Colleen Modra, Rosemary Turner, Nell Tanner
August Minutes:
Corrections: Impressive Irises advertised the 2005 Convention at the Cleve Field Days. Iris Acres did not have any advertising for the 2005 Convention.
Financial Statement $5.00 more was added and an unpresented cheque was added instead of deducted. Moved Julia Jacobs for minutes to be corrected 2nd John Turner carried.
Correspondence:
Balaklava Gardens and Galleries, British Iris Society, Hills Camellia Society, Tempo Two, Rainbow Ridge, Garden Grove, West Australia Newsletter. Email Mr R. Pries
General Business:
Judges workshop: Helen Reid will be conducting the Judges School on Saturday 9th October, 9 am at Marg and Graham Kuchel's at Langhorne Creek and Sunday 10th October, 10am at Julia and Max Jacobs Leawood Gardens.
Members are to bring a Salad and Sweet Plate
Move Rhonda Burg for the South Australian Iris Society to supply the meat for the BBQ and add a small charge to the Judging School Fee to cover the cost. 2nd Pam Hilton carried
Show Report:
Sponsorship: We have had a great response this year and will be able to award many prize vouchers, due to the generosity of our sponsors.
Neutrog has once again donated 225 Sample Bags for this years show, they have asked us to display some advertising for them.
Channel 9: Will advertise our Show on ‘What's On’ after the 6 pm News. There is a possibility a camera crew will come to the hall Friday afternoon and take some footage of some Irises, depending of the availability of a camera crew at the time.
Banners: We have had a fair amount of trouble trying to seek permission from different councils to display our show banners and signs, with the new laws they have now. We did hope to have been able to display a banner at the Gepps Cross Hotel, due to it being more than 3.7 metres high it has been a bit of a problem, we are waiting on permission from Jarvis Ford to display our banner from their fence. Gepps Cross has a great deal of traffic heading toward North Adelaide so it would be an ideal location to have one of the banners there. Claridge Motors on Cross Road will display a banner, as they have done in the past.
Art Display and Crafts: There are a few people who are interested in displaying their Iris Paintings at this years show and who will give us 10% commission on any painting sold during the show.
Beryl Roberts will be at the show with her lovely art work.
Mary Corsten will have a Craft Stall this year
Traders: Will be allocated 3 trestles each at this years show.
Iris Judge: The motel has been booked for Mr Ian Barry at the Regal Park Motel Barton Tce North Adelaide at $99.00
The hall will be open to set up from 10.30am until 8.30pm on Friday and from 7am on Saturday.
We need help with the setting up on Friday 22nd October. See the last newsletter for times and jobs.
Competition exhibits should be tabled on Friday as judging will commence at 9am on Saturday so the hall can be opened by 11am.
2005 convention report:
Commercial stands at the 2005 show will be charged $30 per square metre.
There have been 23 responses from other clubs to date, some will exhibit while some are interested in the bus trips.
Garden club displays will be 2m x 2m, iris are to be included. Floral art club displays 1m x 1m with iris to predominate.
John Turner has been appointed Assistant Secretary for the 2005 committee.
Auctions: John Turner conducted the auction
A lovely Ceramic Iris Vase made by Belinda was auctioned for $15.00 to Trevor Hilton.
A pretty linen Iris Species Print Tea towel was auctioned for $14.00 to Rhonda Burg
Next meeting – October 14th bring cuts for a judging workshop. There will also be a floral art demonstration.
Show and Tell:
John Turner - Lovely blooms of Dutch Irises Telstar and Discovery in a vase with pewter iris base and a set of square Bread and Butter plates made by Shelley, England with Louisiana Irises painted on them in blue, yellow and orange.
Belinda and Karl Meredith - Beautiful silk Irises in colours of dark blue, green yellow and pink, they can be found in Plantland in the Myer City Centre. They also showed several lovely Iris Prints, they found in GoLo, Cheap as Chips and Neds priced from $4 to $20.
Natalie Houba - Natalie had been to Hahndorf and reported the Irises that have been planted there are going along nicely with lots of spikes forming.
Ronda Burg told us Heynes Nursery on Main North East Road has some lovely Silk Irises.
Congratulations to Pam Hilton with 5 x 1st and 3 x 2nds with her Dutch Irises at the Royal Adelaide Show, along with Karl and Belinda Meredith with many prizes for their Fish, plus 2nd's for their Staghorn and Elkhorn Ferns, along with 2nd for Belinda’s Ceramic Eagle. Well done everyone.
Please Note
Rhizomes for the Salisbury Garden Show Oct 9th member who wish to sell rhizomes on commission and rhizomes donations could you please have them at Ronda Burgs home by 4pm Friday 8th. If you have any problems please contact Betty 8289 8262 or Marlene 8289 3759
Balaklava Gardens & Galleries will be holding their biannual Festival of Gardens and Galleries on 16th / 17th October
See you all at the Iris Show 23rd and 24th October in the Estonian Hall, corner of Jeffcott St and Childers St
North Adelaide
