Newsletter: July 2006
SOUTH AUSTRALIAN IRIS SOCIETY Inc.
It is wonderful to be home safe and sound after an awesome eight weeks travelling in Western Canada including the Rockies, Alaskan Inland Passage and West Coast of USA. The American Iris Convention in Portland, Oregon was one of the highlights of our time away. Meeting again friends from other conventions and making new friends. The fact that our floral friend the IRIS can cultivate international friendships shows us what a remarkable flower it is. The colours in the various gardens visited was breathtaking – words cannot convey the beauty of colour of the plants complimentary to the IRIS such as lupins, foxgloves, peonys, rhododenrons, azaleas and a myriad of other plants which enhance a colourful garden. I can only encourage you all, if you have the opportunity to attend a convention anywhere that may take your fancy, it will certainly be time well spent.
Thankyou to Ann Head, Julia Jacobs and anyone else who has helped in the role of secretary in my absence.
Rosemary
Library Highlights by Ann Head
“Winter Care of Irises” by Jean Stevens. This useful article appeared in the NZ Iris Society Bulletin no. 166, June 2005, pp24-6 (reprinted from a 1977 NZIS Bulletin). It contains ideas on the best ways to take care of a range of iris types over the winter months to ensure good spring bloom.
NEW LIBRARY RULES
The library will soon be receiving some great new books, so the library rules have been tightened, due to problems we have had in the past of some books and videos going missing.
Loan period: 1 month
If at the end of that month, you contact the librarian, Don Burg on Ph: 8261 0482 or one of the other committee members, then a 1 month extension may be granted.
If no contact is made at the end of the first month, or if you do not return the book when due, then you will be fined as follows:
-
1st month overdue: $5
-
2nd month overdue: $5
After that, you will be issued a bill for the replacement cost of the book (incl. postage, especially if the book needs to be ordered from overseas). Note that the cost of the book may have increased if it is now out of print.
If you have received a 1 month extension, then are unable to come to the next meeting, then contact with the librarian is essential.
No book or magazine is to be borrowed before being catalogued in the library.
A 2-month amnesty will be granted for prompt return of any books or videos currently overdue or missing from the library. A list of missing titles will be published in the August newsletter.
Please take note of the above guidelines for the use of the library. The Executive Committee has compiled these rules to benefit all members and give all equal opportunity for library use. All books borrowed are to be signed for and recorded.
They need to be traceable because of their informative and monetary value. e.g. The book called ‘Dykes’W.R. The Genus of Iris 1952’ is now worth $450 secondhand, if it is at all procurable.
Member News
Exciting to hear from Graham Hughes of Encounter Bay informing us of his iris which are reblooming
“The first was Blackware which bloomed in February 06 and in March 06. Secondly, at the moment ( 9 May 06) Morning Shadows has nine individual plants in bud, ranging from buds still to emerge from the leaves (four) to full grown, with two of these showing colour. The other exciting news is my Oscar Bluff. I have had this for approx. five years and it has never flowered until last month (mid April) and is still opening buds (1or 2 to go). The odd thing was one rhizome, but three stems came up side by side and each flowered. ( Have taken photos, so hopefully they will come out). I am in hope that they all come good for our next show, as the last three shows the flowers have not appeared at the right time, either too early or too late.”
We hope your photos turn out and look forward to seeing them. Let’s hope the season will be spot on to see your irises at our show. Ed
Next Month – 10 August 2006
Guest Speaker – Mr. David Harmer - Insects and Diseases
This will be a very interesting and informative evening learning about all the goodies and baddies and how to deal with each one in your garden.
Floral Design - Prelude to Spring. What an exciting title to lift our spirits after the cold, cold winter we have experienced. The almond blossom is in abundance in its pink and white colour tones and the spring bulbs are certainly lifting up their heads.
Why not have a go!!!
Supper Roster - Joy Maxwell and Trish Langdon
Thought for the Month. – The grass may be greener on the other side, but it still has to be mowed.
Minutes 13 July 2006
Meeting opened 7.40pm
President Julia Jacobs welcomed 20 members present.
Apologies: Betty Parsons, Karl Meredith, Rosemary Turner, Doreen Churchill, Peg Lane, Pat Toolan, Joy Maxwell and Trish Langdon.
Minutes of the previous meeting were accepted as correct. Moved Ronda Burg, seconded Terry Pomeroy. Carried.
Julia Jacobs thanked Ann Head for filling in as secretary again, as Rosemary Turner was unable to attend.
Correspondence:
The Whyalla Garden Society Inc. will be hosting the Garden Clubs of Australia SA Zone Rally from Friday 13th – Sunday 15th October 2006. The Tea Tree Gully District Garden Club Inc. has invited iris society members to join their bus trip to Whyalla for the zone rally. We have received a detailed itinerary by post, and also an email from Jennifer Stainer, President of the TTG Garden Club, confirming that there are still 8 seats available on the bus. Total cost for the trip is $260 per person twin share.
Garden Clubs of Australia Bulletin.
Botanic Gardens: After a number of attempts, Julia Jacobs has finally been able to make contact with someone from the Botanical Gardens, regarding their previous suggestion of a presentation on irises. They have said that they would love for us to do a presentation on a Sunday afternoon, 2pm at the Noal Lothian Hall (behind the Rose Trial gardens). They have left the choice of date to us – after discussion at the meeting, October 29th was agreed on. Colleen Modra and Julia Jacobs are to do the demonstrations.
The Goodwood Community Centre have sent us an account to be paid for hall hire for the show, and for 3 months meetings.
Total cost $1277.50 (this represents a saving of 50% on their usual venue hire fee for the show).
Marg Kuchel moved that the account be paid, seconded Colleen Modra. Motion carried.
Phone call from Di Cox of the NSW Iris Society asking for permission to reprint some or all of our June write-up of Philip Smoult’s talk in the NSW Iris Soc. Newsletter. Julia Jacobs said that she had approved this. After discussion it was agreed that we should add a disclaimer to the effect that the opinions expressed in the talk were not necessarily endorsed by the SA Iris Society.
Treasurers Report
Moved Marg Kuchel, seconded John Turner that the above report be accepted. Carried.
Business Arising:
Marg Kuchel said that as the Society will have some accounts to pay in the lead-up to the show, $2000 needs to be transferred from the Cash Management account to the Working Cheque account. Marg Kuchel moved that the money be transferred. Seconded Colleen Modra. Motion carried.
Julia Jacobs mentioned that the SA Iris Society website has now been updated, and thanked Ann and Murray Head (especially the latter) for their work on this. The address is http://www.labdude.com/SAIris
Colleen Modra said that the Iris Society of Australia website has also recently been updated, and commented that in the ISA yearbook, the website address was given correctly in one place, and incorrectly in another. The correct address is http://www.irises.org.au
Julia Jacobs mentioned several other errors in the yearbook.
Show bottles: The issue was raised that we will need help in transporting the show bottles from where they are currently being stored near Strathalbyn to the show, and that we will need to find a new place to store the bottles after that. Nell Tanner has volunteered to help with transport of bottles to the show. Any offers of help with storage from someone with plenty of shed space would be most welcome.
The Executive committee has decided that some new books should be purchased for the library. Those which have been agreed on are: The Illustrated Spuria Checklist, Irises – a Gardener’s Encylopaedia by Claire Austin (as reviewed in the ISA Yearbook), The World of Irises (published by the American Iris Society), and Irises by Pamela McGeorge and Alison Nicoll (an NZ iris book). The Executive committee has also agreed to some new library rules, which were read out by Julia Jacobs.
(See newsletter for full details).
Another new addition to the library was shown: Darelle Watson has put together a folder on species irises.
Credit card: at the June meeting, it had been approved that the SA Iris Society should get a Visa card. However, on investigation, this has proved not to be feasible as previously thought, so the Executive Committee has decided not to go ahead with purchasing a Visa card.
Trial garden: Colleen reported that the trial garden has been treated with Ronstar pre-emergent, and there are currently few weeds. However, some weeding may be required in a couple of weeks time – it was arranged that Colleen will employ someone local to do this, at the iris society’s expense.
Julia Jacobs reported that the Show committee’s first meeting has been held, and thanked Nancye Kopunic for taking on the role of show secretary. Betty Parsons has volunteered to continue seeking sponsorship and advertising for the show, although she is no longer on the show committee. Julia mentioned that the cut flower section of the show schedule has not been changed, but there have been some changes to the floral art section, which were read out.
Some iris gift boxes (one design, various sizes) were displayed at the meeting, which Julia’s sister had found at a reject shop. Julia had asked her sister to purchase these for sale at the meeting, and they were available at cost ($2, regardless of size).
An auction of some US iris catalogues (Schreiners, Cooleys and Mid-America gardens) was held. These catalogues had been brought back from the US by Colleen Modra, one of each was donated to the society library, and the remainder were auctioned off. John Turner was auctioneer, with the proceeds going to the iris society.
Show Bench
Results from the June meeting were not printed in the June minutes, so appear below, along with show bench results for July.
8th June 06 Judge - Ann Head
1 Stem of Bearded Iris –
1. I. germanica “Early Settlers Purple” - Luke White
2. “ “ “
Bearded Floret –
1. “Double Vision” – Gwen Alexandrou
2. Seedling – Marg Kuchel
3. “Fantast” (mislabelled) – Ronda Burg
1 cut of any garden bloom (Multiple head)
1. Banksia praemorsa – Julia Jacobs
2. Grevillea “Moonshine” – Julia Jacobs
3. Acacia – Pat Crouch
1 cut of any garden bloom (Single Floret)
1. Butterfly Cyclamen – Belinda Meredith
2. Rose “Mr Lincoln” – Colleen Modra
3. Camellia – Ronda Burg
Floral Design – theme “Arrangement in Green Tonings”
Floral Design judged by Julia Jacobs.
1. Marg Kuchel
13th July 06 Judge – Colleen Modra
1 Stem of Bearded Iris
1. “Earl of Essex” – Marlene Gibson
2. I. germanica – John Turner
3. “Progressive Attitude” – John Turner
Bearded Floret
1. “Progressive Attitude” – Belinda Meredith
1 Stem of Species Iris
1. I. unguicularis (Algerian Iris) – John Turner
2. “ “ “
1 cut of any garden bloom (Multiple head)
1. Camellia “Cinnamon Glory” – John Pongrac
2. Camellia “Little Slam” – John Pongrac
3. Forget-me-not – John Turner
1 cut of any garden bloom (Single Floret)
1. Isopogon – Julia Jacobs
2. Camellia “Elegance Supreme” – John Pongrac
3. Rose “Sutters Gold” – Margaret Douglass
Floral Design
There were no entries in the Floral Design category, however Julia had brought along a floral design piece for display in this month’s theme – Christmas in July. She did a short demonstration showing how her display piece could be changed by the addition or removal of accessories and/or plant material..
Show and Tell
John Turner: A number of items from his recent trip to the US, including an American Iris Convention bag, and a packet of native iris seeds from Western Canada and Alaska.
Ann Head: Threads & Crafts magazine No. 46, featuring 12 different iris craft projects. This was recently purchased as part of a 2-for-1 offer with issue No. 47, however both may be 2005 issues. If no longer available at newsagents, then try www.threadsandcrafts.co.za Ann also announced that she is pregnant, with the baby due in late January.
Guest Speaker
Christine Elliot of Brackenwood Botanicals, Sturt. – Drought Tolerant Gardens.
Chris began her talk by saying that the term “drought” means different things to different people, as what you consider a normal amount of rainfall depends on where you live (e.g. parts of the Adelaide Hills receive twice the average annual rainfall of the Adelaide plains). Rather than using the term “drought-tolerant gardens” (as the talk had been advertised in our newsletter), Chris prefers the term “low water use gardens”, also known as Xeriscape gardens. Christine Elliott then proceeded to define what she considers to be the 7 main principles of Xeriscape gardening.
1. Planning & Design.
As well as the commonsense approach of grouping plants according to their water needs, it is also important to consider where you want to create particular micro-climates. Christine commented that 1 oak tree has a comparable evaporative cooling effect to 5 domestic air conditioners, and that by careful planning, combined with use of mulch, etc. you can cool the air temperature by up to 10 degrees, and the soil temperature by up to 15 degrees. This is especially important for reducing the heat load entering your house.
Also, since frosts follow airflow, windbreaks can be used to channel frosts towards or away from plants.
2. Soil Analysis.
Get to know the texture, water infiltration rate, etc. of your soil. For effective irrigation, the irrigation rate needs to be matched with the infiltration rate.
Christine Elliot commented that most people in Adelaide assume they are on clay soil, when they are actually on sandy loam, as there are very few clay soils in the Adelaide region. To determine your soil type, get a sample of your soil from the root zone, put it in a jar, add water, and shake. When it settles, there will be 3 layers (only 2 in some areas), with the clay on top, silt in the middle, and sand on the bottom.
For testing pH levels, Chris recommended colour metric charts or digital testers, and said that the cheaper skinny probes aren’t worth buying.
Another tip was to try to avoid rotary-hoeing as it destroys soil structure and organic matter. (Most Adelaide soils have an organic matter content of 0.5%, whereas it should be at least 3%, and 5% is great.)
3. Irrigate Efficiently.
As well as using a watering system appropriate for your conditions (preferably a drip system), it is important to water at the right time of day. Not only can evaporation be a problem during the heat of the day, most plants that grow in our climate won’t take up water when the temperature is above 35 degrees. Watering after dark should also be avoided as the plant can’t photosynthesize and take up the water then.
Plants should be watered to just below their root zone (usually in the top 30cm) – any deeper, and the water will be wasted. Chris also recommended the use of timers on taps, and discussed different types of drip systems: Drippers lying on top of the ground have been found to be better than subsurface drippers, and soaker hoses may not be as good as in-line emitters.
4. Practical Turf Areas.
Try to restrict grass to certain areas of the garden, and if possible, plant a variety with a lower water requirement. Some new turf types, e.g. Buffalo don’t use so much water, and grasses which spread by runners are generally more drought-tolerant than those which form clumps. (Ed.: It should also be noted that those which spread by runners are usually much more invasive, and that some types Chris Elliott recommended as being drought-tolerant, e.g. kikuyu and couch can be almost impossible to eradicate once planted.)
5. Appropriate Plant Selection.
Try to select plants which are suitable for your soil and climate. These don’t have to be the most obvious low-water-use plants such as Australian natives or cacti, but can be small-leaved plants or those with thicker bark. Ones with a water storage mechanism, such as a rhizome, bulb or tuber are also good. Try looking at what is growing in your area, or at the Waite Arboretum.
6. Use Mulches.
When choosing a mulch for your garden, consider whether you want it primarily to suppress weeds, or to add organic matter (e.g. pea straw, bark chips, etc.) or just to look good (e.g. crushed glass). Pine barks take much longer to break down than pea straw or lucerne, but be careful when using bark or wood chips as a lot of them naturally contain chemicals to suppress growth of other plants. If buying red gum mulch, make sure it has been aged at least 6 months.
Don’t mulch too thickly as it can suck up the water and have a detrimental effect. If using lawn clippings as mulch, make sure it is no more than 25mm thick. Lucerne should be no more than 75mm thick, however pea straw can be applied very thickly.
Try to avoid adding too much organic matter at once to a soil with low clay content as you can end up with a water-repellent soil. If water-retaining products are used, the soil needs to be kept constantly moist afterwards or the problem will recur. Chris Elliott recommended application of a clay slurry to permanently fix water-repellent or sandy soils.
7. Maintain the Garden.
Keep the garden well-maintained by weeding, pruning, etc. If living in a frost-prone area, don’t prune in mid-late autumn. For summer pruning, prune more lightly, or thin out one-third.
Reduce fertilizer use, as over-fertilized and over-watered plants will continue to need more fertilizer and water. In particular, high-nitrogen fertilizers should be avoided, as insects such as aphids prefer to eat nitrogen-rich plants, and it is better for plants to be carbohydrate-rich than nitrogen-rich. Fertilizer use should also be tailored to your soil type. On clay soil, you may never need to fertilize your plants, as the nutrients in the soil are more available to plants. On sandy soil, you do need to fertilize.
Gypsum is widely talked about as important for improving clay soils, however Chris Elliott commented that not all clay soils react with gypsum, so you would need to find out if you have slaking clay or dispersing clay. Chris’ recommended test is: take a marble-sized piece of soil, roll it up, drop it into a glass of distilled water or rain water, then watch what happens over time. If after a little while, it still looks the same, then you have slaking clay. If the soil breaks up completely and clouds the water, then you have dispersing clay, and gypsum would be beneficial.
John Turner thanked Christine Elliott for being such a comprehensive, and easy to follow speaker, and presented her with a gift from the Iris Society.
Raffle was drawn.
Meeting Closed – approx. 10:20 pm.
