Newsletter: June 2006
SOUTH AUSTRALIAN IRIS SOCIETY Inc.
My Beginnings with Irises, By Belinda Meredith.
If you had asked me six years ago if I liked gardening I would have said no way I would rather spend my spare time fishing! Back in our old house there was no incentive to create a garden of any kind as anything new planted was generally ripped up and left to die on the next door neighbour’s driveway so our street looked like a desert except for trees too big to move or weeds too big to mow. That was before I saw my first Iris.
My first iris encounter was in the middle of winter at my friend’s house where we were helping her to move into. No it wasn’t a rebloomer or even a live plant it was an iris catalogue from Rainbow Ridge 2000. My friend had found it somewhere and thought she might look into it (someday) but as she is more interested in roses (mostly those with the strongest perfume) she never got around to it. As I flicked through the pages she said I could have it if I want and even found a copy of the iris list from Yarrabee Garden and Iris. When I found out that Yarrabee was at One Tree Hill I thought I would go as soon as I could.
About two months later Sue was digging up my first irises – all six of them! Back then I had no idea about anything other than what was in the few catalogues and gardening books I found that had irises in them. I was amazed at the sheer number of varieties and colours available – and just in the bearded irises!
Almost two years later I stumbled upon a sign one Saturday when we were out for a drive that said Iris Show. We were there in a flash and it was there we found out about the iris society. We couldn’t join up fast enough. By then I had about 30 TB but was yet to see many of them bloom. I was amazed at the display at the show and was glad I wasn’t the only one who could see the beauty of the iris.
It has now been about five years since I bought my first six irises and I now have over 200, but as we have moved house I have room for more, (when I actually finish my garden beds off) and as I have lost some of them during the move I will have to go through them and see what I have. I am hoping to see more irises blooming this year and as I am typing this I have a bloom on Autumn Circus, my first bloom outside the normal bloom season.
PS You can catch the iris virus from one glimpse of an iris catalogue!
LIBRARY HIGHLIGHTS by Ann Head
If you’ve ever wondered what the difference is between a plicata and a luminata, or what exactly a glaciata is, then this is the article for you. It even comes with colour photos to illustrate the different types. The title of the article is, appropriately enough, “Plicatas, Luminatas and Glaciatas” and it was written by Keith Keppel, who is a master at hybridizing with these colour patterns. The article can be found in the 2003 British Iris Society Year Book, pp 72 – 3, 77 - 8
MEMBERS NEWS
Jenny Kempe has a new grandchild. Jake Alexander was born on the 15th June, a brother for Hayley, and a son for Sarah and Courtland. Jenny’s other daughter is also expecting, with her first baby due this week.
OTHER NEWS
Those members who were involved with the iris plantings at Hahndorf may remember Ann Haines, who was involved in organizing the plantings, in her role as Chairperson of the Hahndorf Community Association. Ann Haines recently received the Order of Australia medal in recognition of her work with a number of community groups.
UPCOMING GARDEN EVENTS
The Murray Bridge & Districts Orchid Club Inc. is holding its Winter Orchid Show from the 30th June – 2nd July.
The show will be held at the Town Hall, Bridge St, Murray Bridge.
Opening times: Friday 30th June 12pm – 5pm, Saturday 1st July 10am – 4pm, Sunday 2nd July 10am – 4pm.
The show features: Orchid exhibits and floral arrangements, orchid craft and photography, orchid plants and growing supplies for sale, a general trading table, potting demonstrations and a display of orchid stamps.
Devonshire teas and homemade soup and sandwiches will be available. Easy wheelchair access.
Admission $3, incl. tea or coffee. Further enquiries: Ph: 8532 5607
FOR THIS MONTH
June / July is the dormant period for Siberian irises, so they may be transplanted safely now, and it is also a good time for cleaning away any dead foliage.
Remember to remove any pots of Japanese irises from water now, as they do not like to stand in water during winter.
Tall Bearded irises may still be in hiatus as they wait for the weather to warm up.
NEXT MONTH - 13 July 2006
Guest Speaker - Chris Elliot – Drought Tolerant Gardens (Natives and Iris)
Floral Design - Christmas in July
Supper Co-ordinators - Natalie Houba and Gwen Alexandrou
Minutes of the South Australian Iris Society meeting held 8th June 2006
Meeting opened 7.48pm
President Julia Jacobs welcomed 16 members and 2 visitors present. Special welcome to guest Philip Smoult.
Apologies: John & Edna Pongrac, Sue Stribley, Betty Parsons, Karl Meredith, John Alexandrou, Trish Langdon, John & Rosemary Turner.
Julia Jacobs expressed condolences to Joy Maxwell on behalf of all members, as David had passed away the previous week.
Minutes of the previous meeting were accepted as correct.
Correspondence:
Murray Bridge & Districts Orchid Club re: their upcoming show.
Ann Dunn from the Kangaroo Island Garden group expressing interest in meeting up with members of our society during our McLaren Vale bus tour.
Letter requesting a talk on irises and a floral demonstration at a Garden Party, to be held Friday 27th October. Colleen Modra and Julia Jacobs have volunteered.
Postcard of Schreiners nursery received from John & Rosemary Turner.
Botanical Gardens: Julia Jacobs has made several phone calls to the Botanical Gardens as a follow-up to their previous correspondence, but was only able to leave messages, and has had no response yet.
Ikebana teacher Yvonne Correll has contacted Julia Jacobs re: our show, and as a result, the Ikebana ladies have agreed to do a display at our show again this year.
Teresa Bignell (who will speak on daylilies at our November meeting), has provided a list of which daylilies she will have available for sale in November. Teresa will be selling unnamed seedlings for $5 each, with proceeds to go to the Make-A-Wish foundation. Named varieties will cost $10, with $5 to go to the foundation. For those wishing to purchase now, plants are also available open-rooted, for $5.
Garden Clubs of Australia: Bulletin, Notice of AGM and Nomination form. The meeting agreed that possible nominations for the relevant awards should be considered by the Executive Committee, prior to the July 7 closing date.
We have now received our Certificate of Incorporation for the Iris Society of Australia (each ISA region receives its own copy).
Newsletter from the NSW Iris Society.
Newsletter from the WA Iris Society.
Reblooming Iris Society (USA): 2 Rebloom Recorder magazines
Treasurers Report
Moved Marg Kuchel, seconded Ronda Burg that the above report be accepted. Carried.
Business Arising:
Marlene Gibson mentioned that the Clivia Society are bringing out a “Clivia in Australia” calendar for 2007, with photos of all the new colours available. This calendar will not be available through newsagents, only through the Clivia Society. The calendar will cost $10, and if Iris Society members placed a joint order, then $3 from each calendar sale would go to the Iris Society. However, we would need to know tentative numbers for orders soon, as the Clivia Society needs to know numbers before the calendar is printed.
Julia Jacobs read out a book review by Graeme Grosvenor which appeared in the NSW region’s newsletter a couple of months ago, and which she thought might be of interest to members. Delma and Maurie Birthisel obviously thought the same way, as the review has now also appeared in the Iris Society of Australia Yearbook.
Marg Kuchel raised the issue of whether the SA Iris Society should have a Visa card. Currently, each time we renew our membership of an overseas Iris Society, it has to be paid for by a bank cheque drawn on a bank in that country. Each of these bank cheques costs $20. Some memberships are for 3 years, but others can only be renewed for 1 year at a time, so it is an ongoing cost, which could be avoided if we paid by Visa. Not all of the relevant Iris Societies take Visa, but most do, and a Visa card would also make it easier for the Iris Society to purchase books from overseas. Marg said that as the Iris Society counts as a business, the cost of having a Visa card would be $35 per year. The motion that the SA Iris Society get a Visa card was proposed by Colleen Modra, seconded by (unrecorded). Motion carried.
Julia Jacobs mentioned the profiles of members which have been appearing in the newsletter each month. These have so far been commissioned by Rosemary as required, but Julia suggested that we each write a profile, and give it to Rosemary, rather than waiting until we are asked. This would make Rosemary’s task of finding content for the newsletter each month much easier.
Julia also thanked Ann Head for contributing the Library Highlights section each month.
Gwen Alexandrou mentioned the poppies which had been much admired in Kangaroo Island gardens on the post-convention tour. She was sent seeds from poppies of various colours for distribution among members at the meeting.
Show Bench
Results have been held over to the July newsletter.
Guest Speaker
Supper was served, after which we received a most informative talk from Philip Smoult, of Smoult Horticultural Suppliers. Philip started by saying that the business was started in 1992, with the aim of supplying commercial flower growers and commercial nurseries. However, home gardeners became interested in their products, so their market expanded. They now have a big warehouse at Para Hills West, which is open 8:30am – 4:30pm, Monday – Friday, where you can buy a large range of products in small or large quantities.
The majority of Philip Smoult’s talk concerned some of the gardening products available, and how to make decisions on which ones are right for you and your garden.
Fertilizer – the question to ask yourself when choosing a fertilizer is: is it the right fertilizer for you, right now, for your plants. Philip commented that N:P:K is not just a way of defining the nutrient balance in fertilizers, it is also the order in which plants require those nutrients, i.e. you might use manure (nitrogen-rich) to prepare a bed before planting, then later, the plants will need phosphorus to strengthen root development and help with inducing flowers, then finally, the plants will need potassium. If, instead, you just keep applying manure, you will get green plants with no flowers. (And rot in irises – Ed.) Philip commented that orchid-growers use one fertilizer for growth, and one fertilizer for flowering. The difference between the two is that they have the opposite ratios of nitrogen to potassium.
Snail baits – Philip commented that most people choose which snail bait to buy on the basis of price, whereas with more information, you might well make your decision on the basis of how the different types work. The three brands Philip displayed were David Grays, Baysol and Multiguard, which are all bran pellets. Philip Smoult commented that the cheap brands are green pellets – these cause the snails to die slowly, as after ingesting the pellets, they can’t eat or drink. Baysol (blue pellets) are fast-acting (and also work on millipedes and slaters). The snails die quickly, and are then eaten by birds and lizards, which also get poisoned. If using this brand, don’t put the pellets out in piles, as it is more effective to broadcast them around the garden. Something else to check if you are making a decision on price is the quantity required per square metre, e.g. the David Grays pellets are half the price of Baysol, but you will need to use 3 times as much to cover the same area. Finally, the Multiguard pellets. These are based on iron chelates, rather than poison, as slugs and snails die if they eat iron and copper. These are safe for dogs and cats, but will also not adversely affect millipedes and slaters.
Garden equipment hygiene – Philip recommended Sporekill. This costs $32 for 1 litre, but when diluted with water, it will make 500-1000 litres of solution. Sporekill gives total control of bacteria, viruses, fungi, etc, but is safe to handle and can be sprayed safely on plants. Sporekill makes it safe to reuse pots, and can be used for sterilizing garden tools, etc. Philip Smoult also suggested that Sporekill might work in treating Phytophthora. Colleen Modra had earlier reported on the devastating impact that Phytophthora has had on species irises in some Oregon gardens.
Secateurs – a number of different types made by Felco were recommended. These come with a small piece of metal in the packet, which is a spanner for adjusting the secateurs with, when required. Philip suggested it is also a good practice to oil your secateurs with Singer oil, and that in particular, the spring should be oiled. Several people asked him about the rolling secateurs. These are very much top-of-the-range secateurs, at $99, but the rolling handle helps you to avoid medical problems which can be caused by long hours of secateur work. However, to keep rolling secateurs in good condition, the rolling handle needs to be cleaned out and oiled regularly – Marg Kuchel said that yellow axle grease is the best thing for this. Felco also make scissor-type secateurs for small, fine work, which are available for $18.
Fly control – Philip suggested that Envirosafe fly traps are good for controlling flies. These don’t use any chemicals, but drown the flies. The smaller one can also be used to kill European wasps, if lemonade is used instead of the supplied powder. Coopex powder can be used around doorways, etc. to control flies, and can be used in kitchens, bakeries, etc. It also kills spiders, ants, earwigs, etc. The powder needs to be reapplied after rain. Fly-control products are only worth using when the temperature is above 18 degrees Celsius, as that is the temperature at which flies become active.
Glyphosphate – to avoid the problem of glyphosphate being ineffective if rain occurs after application, mix it neat with Synetrol Horti Oil. This Synetrol product is also useful for making copper mix better with water when spraying fruit trees.
(It will also help your fruit trees if you add a little Seasol to the mix).
Seasol – Philip Smoult recommended this for general garden application, and said that if used regularly every 10-14 days, it will protect the plants against heat or frost. It also helps flowers to last longer, and have brighter colours. Seasol is ideal for soaking punnets of seedlings in, the night before planting. Philip commented that one thing to be aware of with purchasing Seasol is that there are two different versions on the market – the commonly available version for home gardens, and a version sold for commercial use. The home garden version is much more dilute, so you need to use a lot less of the commercial one when mixing it with water. The commercial version costs approx. $50 for 5 litres, but because it is more concentrated, it is more cost-effective.
Pots and tree tubes – Smoult’s sells a variety of these, as well as several different sizes of trays for carrying or storing multiple pots or tree tubes. One feature of the trays is that they are designed to keep the bottom of the pot or tube from coming into contact with the soil, thus preventing the problem of the roots going through the bottom of the pot into the soil. Philip commented that black pots last 3-4 times as long as coloured pots.
Watering – when purchasing a drip system, Philip said that many customers ask for one with a rapid flow rate. However, he said that watering more quickly is actually less effective as the water creates a seal on the soil surface, and can’t sink in because the air in the soil can’t get out. Mulching your garden may also encourage microbes which dry out the soil surface, so Philip recommends using Saturaid granules on the surface before you put your mulch on. Other products which improve the water-holding ability of the soil are coconut peat, and Eco-wet liquid. Coconut peat, when mixed thoroughly with potting mix or soil, is the best thing for holding water, and is especially recommended for use in sandy soils (mixed with the top 15cm of the soil). The Eco-wet liquid froths up in a watering can, making it a bit of a pain to use, so the Saturaid granules are easier.
Striking cuttings – Philip Smoult said that hormone powders may spread diseases from one plant to another as you dip the cuttings in, and won’t work at all if more than 18 months – 2 years old. He recommends using Clonex gels instead, which contain a fungicide as well as a vitamin – these should be kept in the fridge.
Caterpillars – Dipel is very safe to use when controlling caterpillars (as it is a bacteria, not a chemical). After ingesting it, the caterpillars stop eating and die. Philip recommended a commonsense approach of not using it in the morning, as it will be inactive by the time the caterpillars come out. Instead, it is best to use it in late afternoon.
Marking pens – Smoult’s stocks a variety of different marking pens, ranging from the felt-tipped Garden marker and Pilot fine tip to the nylon-tipped permanent Lumocolor (the same ones used for overhead projectors) and the Artline 725. (The Artline 725 doesn’t fade in the garden, but you need to make sure you have put the lid on fully after use.) Smoult’s also have some pencils – Philip said the Stabilo one is good, but you need to avoid touching the writing for 10 mins after use.
Marg Kuchel thanked Philip Smoult for a fascinating talk, and presented him with a gift from the Iris Society.
Meeting Closed – approx. 10:25pm.
THOUGHTS for THE MONTH - Everyone has enough to do in weeding his own garden. -- Flemish proverb
And from The Importance of Being Earnest by Oscar Wilde:
Cicely: When I see a spade, I call it a spade.
Gwendolen: I am glad to say that I have never seen a spade. It is obvious that our social spheres have been widely different.
