As some/most of you know; I am a nut for Sterling Innerst introductions. Why? Who really knows. He was the past president of my local iris society, Dykes medal winner, and I needed an excuse to try and limit my crazy iris expansion. So I decided that I would just collect his cultivars. Ok, try to just collect his cultivars. How is that working? Let's not go there!

So I did alot of research and talked to everyone in my local iris society (as well as the iris society in the Philadelphia area). I thought that because Region 3 was Sterling's home region that I would be able to find all of his introduction here and do so easily. No such luck. I did get alot of stories and I also wound up with all of his trophies. Well, almost all. I did not get the Dykes Medal. Bummer!

So I got about 15 trophies, from competions all over the world. All are in need of TLC. I have decided to get them back in shape (cleaned, buffed, shined, & repaired) and take pictures of them next to the blooms for which they were awarded. One award, did not have any information on it for what iris the award was given for nor the date; "Dr Loomis Award".

So I researched it and found nothing. No big deal. I will just get back to it. So I got back to it this week (I have had the trophies for about two years now). Well, I found what I was looking for! Terry Hunter of "Heritage Iris Blog" just posted a blurb on Sterling Innerst's "Tennessee Gentlemen" which won the Dr Loomis Award in 1994! Here is the link to his main page.

http://historiciris.blogspot.c...

Here is the link to the specific page.

http://historiciris.blogspot.c...

Here is a so so picture of the trophy. I need to get a better (dark) background to highlight it better.

Can see why it was an award winner.

Cool trophy, Greg. And how cool that you're resurrecting the work of a very worthwhile hybridizer. Kudos to you for all the work you're putting into this.

Oops, meant to say something similar (too easily distracted these days )

Great job Greg! Anything worthwhile takes work and patience. keep posting new information and finds as you discover them and keep your list of 'needed Innerst iris' as current as feasible. I will keep a look out for those you need as I tramp about this spring. There is a lady in western Arkansas that grows quite a few irises but all her Innerst iris are on your list of haves.

The Loomis Award should appeal to people in northern zones of the country. The test gardens are in Colorado in a tough mountain climate. Winning that award means that it is a great hardy plant.

Here is what we are talking about.

Two things I did not get from the previous keeper of the trophies. Sterling's Dykes medal and his hybridizing note books. Both of which were communicated to me that I would get them. I would have like the books to see where he was headed to with an idea of moving ahead as I would like to try my hand at hybridizing. I want to combine Sterling's work on re-bloomers with that of Joan Roberts and Griffin Crump since they both have a good number of re-bloomers.

Ask the owner of the books for copies of them. that may get them going & with a little work a 2nd copy could be useful.

That request was made when they reneged on handing them over in the first place. I told them of my plans and that did not persuade them. I think they intend to donate them to the AIS, but they did not really say what they were going to do with them. They just wanted to unburden themselves of the space taking trophies. The original discussion included the notebooks and ALL trophies.

It has been awhile since this occurred and alot has happened personally that they may be more willing to let me get at the notebooks. They also promised a needed cultivar which never showed either. I will try to get the notebooks or get a copy using the need cultivar as an introduction. Possibilities!

Copies are fine & useful. Hope that you can persuade them.

Hello Greg,
I had to join this forum so I could write you
I think the above photo you have displayed is ;
TENNESSEE WOMAN
(Sterling Innerst, R. 1989) Sdlg. 2988-5. TB, 36" (91 cm), E-M
S. medium brown; F. white, 1/4" purple trim on edge; bronze beard tipped yellow; slight sweet fragrance. Colortrak X Ted Shiner. Innerst 1990. HM 1993, AM 1995 .

TENNESSEE WOMAN is White ground and TENNESSEE GENTLEMAN is a Yellow over white ground
I am really glad someone is collecting Sterling Innerst Irises and with 212 registered that will be a hell of a display

Hi, Terry! Nice to see you here. You do get around !I want to tell you again how much I enjoy your blog !..Arlyn

Hello Terry -- welcome to our group!!

Terry,

Hello. I could not figure how to post a picture when making a comment to your blog (well I did not try too hard). I guess my linking to your blog helped (just curious if you saw a bump in traffic). I got both Tennessee Gentleman & Tennessee Woman from the same regional commercial source.



above are the two side by side. Gentleman first; Woman second.

The only issue for me has been bloom time. Gentleman has always been early for me, which is different from the M-L it has in the AIS description. AND, I live less than 20 miles from where they were created.

Some of mine show more or less color in different places in the yard, so I think the color issue is just a water/nutrient thing.

Glad you came to this foum! I think now it is time to do away with the cubit one. I was a proponent of keeping both when ATP first came on the scene, but I now think it is time to consolidate. Of course, that may also be a "traffic" driven decision. Just my two cents.
Greg

PS Love your blog!

This is not to say that I have gotten stuff from commercial and other sources that turned up wrong. I have. But in this case, I am sure I have it right. The pictures on the AIS Twiki of both cultivars match what I have; so I am confident of their identification.