This was our second year showing our irises. There is a lot to learn as far as judging is concerned.
The weather, and what is blooming in your garden, play a big part. I had so many that had reached their
peak the week before the show. The Club acknowledged that May 7 was a bit late this year for a good show.
Many gardens were done - so they encouraged everyone to bring what they have. It turned out to be a nice show.
I walk around with pen and paper jotting down the names of irises that knock me out. The Luther Burbank Center in Santa Rosa,
where the Iris Society is centered, has a lovely rose and iris garden. They still had some beautiful blooms - and big ones!
We had one stalk critiqued - No Place Like Home. It was quite tall and well branched, with one bloom and four unopened
buds. If one of the unopened buds had been open, I was told that it would have rated a higher score- as it is it got a second - a red ribbon.. There are tricks to all of this.
Had I taken the time at home to use means, such as a hairdryer or warm water to force the bloom, it would have helped.
Any flawed leaves should be removed, and missing parts excluded. Finger prints on the waxy stem should be removed, etc. etc.
The best part for me is to see others' irises. I saw one called Cat Walk that stopped me in my tracks - a sable burgundy two-tone, like velvet.
Chris devised an iris carrier, with duct tape placed in a checkerboard pattern on the rim of a bucket. Slipping the stems into the squares is a tricky endeavor. Getting the
irises to the show, intact, is an accomplishment! They should be kept from touching each other.
Our club has organized a uniform display vase, with boxes of the simple parts . We had two hours to put our entries together on tables set
up for the purpose. Entry forms have to be filled out with the name of the iris, the exhibitor, class, etc. We had from 7 a.m. to 9 a.m. to do this.
Chris did the entry work while I filled out the forms.
Here's a photo that shows the "vases" the club provides:
One last thing: even though Chris and I are newcomers to this group of old friends,
we felt welcome. The club put out coffee and breakfast goodies in the early hours, and after the
judging they had a pasta and salad lunch. Members were very helpful and share their knowledge.
I learned a lot from these people! If we lived closer than the hour and a half drive down there, we'd make
all the meetings!
