That night they held a banquet for the MBIS and I had the pleasure of watching Bill Maryott recieve the AIS 2011 Wister Medal for his last Iris he introduced called That's All Folks.It is my favorite Yellow Iris and I hope it is considered for the Dykes one day it really is a great garden Iris and just glows in the sun,also that night Joe gave us a little bit of his history of the 50 + years he has been growing & hybridizing Iris it was a good night with a great crowd, that was my 1st AIS regional and I hope to go to quite a few more in the future

That's All Folk's in my garden this spring.



The next morning Joe invited everyone to his home to show his personal gardens and also Judges training. He talked about the process he goes through before one of his seedlings is introduced , how he try's to grow the majority of the re select seedlings at home vs his ranch so he could better judge them and get a feel for what it is like to live with them and watch how they grew and evaluate them a little better, it was a great speech and I learned quite a bit that day. I also got another look at some of his newer intro's and seedlings Here are the favorite pictures from that day in his home garden of his and others he was growing.

Pop Idol & Plot Line


Smart Money & Polite Applause


Wedding Night & Spectacle


Perception & Magic Happens


Italian Master & Merry Amigo


By Jeeves & Only In Dreams




For some more great pictures of these gardens from the tour here is the link from the AIS regional

http://aisregion14.org/pdfs/sp...

Lucy I struggle with alot of them but the smell and colors keep me trying and my wife loves them. It was just neat to see them that big most of mine will reach 3 or 4 ft tall and wide and then there gone for the year. I tried one year not pruning them back but the canes never made it through winter.

You have a wonderful collection of photos. How do you keep so many organized? Do you use an external drive?

I saw the "Iris Bed" in your photo, and had to laugh! One year I salvaged an old bed frame, really ornate steel, and set it up around a small iris patch. Made a sign that said "flower bed" . Rita made me take it down! She said either lose the bed, or lose the iris!. It went to the junk yard. ....Arlyn

Wister Medal winners automatically go on the list for the Dykes which is the final step in the awards system.

Teresa there all filed by the dates when I took them, I do have some stuck in a favorites folder but no I do not have a external hard drive.

Arlyn we really got a kick out of that Bed he built, they really had a neat garden with all kids of unique things in it if you click on the link for the AIS spring show there is some better pictures of there garden.

Lucy that's great news I am curious how long does it stay on the list to be able to be voted for.

Three years. That's All Folks has two years left and it was the runner up last year, but there is a good chance it will get passed by Gypsy Lord and/or Bluebeard's Ghost this year.

I think of all the gardens I visited Joe's seedlings were my favorite of anyones hands down, from the bubble ruffling to the color patterns that would be impossible to describe, he is definitely marching to a different drummer I was to early to see the majority of them but the ones I did get to see were Superb.

Thanks Kent I like Gypsy Lord also it is another great Iris that looks good everywhere I have seen it.

After spending the morning at Joe's we headed for Superstition Garden's to meet Rick and Roger there garden was one I was really looking forward to seeing up close and personal for any one that has ordered from those two guys you know that there bulbs are always fantastic, I think they really have it down to a science there Iris are some of the best growing plants, I have recieved and they are always loaded with increase. It was starting to warm up nicely that day and I was hoping a little heat and few hours away they might be a little further along in bloom then Santa Cruz.

There garden sets at the base of the Yosemite Moutains in Catheys Valley and those guys have a awesome view surrounding them it was a nice scenic drive and they were tucked away in great location. There bloom was coming on nicely when we got there late in the afternoon, and I was able to get some good pictures of a couple of there new intro's that were open and some of the others that they offered for sale. They have such a great selection of good ones it was hard to pic which one looked the best that day but these really stood out and got added to my wish list. Over all a fantastic garden and a place I hope to one day see again.


Dragon King & Artic Burst

White Hot & Smoky Shadows

Dark Wonder & Island Breeze

Go West & Celestial Explosion

Picture Book & Pep Rally

Pagent's Gown & Comfortable

Stop The Traffic & Treasure Trader


There garden views & a few favorite seedlings

Well Brad -- these photos (Joe's and Superstition) just make me want to dig all of mine up and throw them away -- and start over!! MAN!!!!!!! It did make me very happy that a couple of the pictures that you took at Superstition, I DO have in my garden!!

Gotta say --the bottom picture, right side, at Superstition -- sure looks like Strozzapreti!! Gorgeous!

Mary Ann, If you do throw all your "old" iris away, please let me know! I'll swing by on my way home and go through your trash!! Again, nice pics,Brad! .Arlyn

Also we don't have gardens on an irrigation system, looking to Ma Nature for our water. You do need water to irrigate, but they can time it correctly.

LOL Arlyn!!

the only roses I have left are mini roses as I had 89 J & P Roses but at the end of 3 years I saw one bloom. The deer around here really love then and then fighting black spot, I finally gave in and gave them away except for the tiny ones for some reason the deer do not seem to bother them as much. In their place is now arilbred iris! Sunflowers, and dutch iris.

D

I loved them dearly but the deer beat me to them all the time, so gave up-

D

We had a smashing rose garden in Illinois. Tried to grow roses here in western Kentucky -- could not keep up with the black spot. Gave up. Irises are happy here -- that'll do!!

Have a couple David Austin. If there is sun available we usually stick an iris in it.

LOL -- yup, I get that!!

Very nice pics.
I love irises. Too bad they only bloom once a year.
Would it be safe to say that IRIS flowers have the most color mixes of all flowers?
I think so.
I have some irises, 2-3 dwarfs, maybe 10 tall ones but I don't know how long I can resist to temptation to get more.

Oh come on Calin, just give in to the temptation like the rest of us! You can always say the devil made you do it.