www.aisregion9.com Issue 2011-02 (Summer) June 2011 Greetings from your RVP--Margaret Kelly Greetings to all! May has been a busy month for our Region 9 Iris enthusiasts! Members cleared and cleaned their Iris beds and prepared for the bloom season. It s always exciting to see the new irises bloom for the first time. The Mid-Illinois Iris Society and the Southern Iris Society held their Iris Show on May 7, 2011 in the Alton Square Mall, Alton, Illinois, with a total of 70 entries and 4 exhibitors. Best specimen was Fogbound exhibited by Jeff Kassly and Anita Stephens. The silver medal winner was Jeff Kassly & Anita Stephens, the bronze medal winner was Leora McTall. The show chairman was Anita Stephens. The Prairie Iris Society s Iris Show was held Saturday May 21, 2011 in the Lincoln Square Mall, Urbana, Illinois with a total 109 entries and 8 exhibitors of which were 3 youth members. Best specimen was Tuscan Summer exhibited by Jerry & Melody Wilhoit. Seedling judged most worthy was P34, a tall bearded iris exhibited by Brian Davis. The silver medal winner was Jerry & Melody Wilhoit, the bronze medal winner was Brian Davis. All three youth members were recognized. Josh exhibited the best specimen Yaquina Blue while the Silver Medal was awarded to Carson and the Bronze medal was awarded to Emily. The show co-chairpersons were Brian and Carol Davis. The Sangamon Valley Iris Show was held Saturday May 14, 2011 in Washington Park Botanical Gardens in Springfield, IL., with a total of 108 entries and 8 exhibitors, 97 cultivars. The best specimen was Dorothy Devenport exhibited by Sue Perryman. The silver medal winner was Nancy & Irv Pocklington, the bronze medal winner was Deb & Dave Miller. The best design was exhibited by Renee Burns. The show co-chairpersons were Patrick Hemmer and Debra Miller. Northern Illinois Iris Society held an informal exhibition at Sid s Garden Center in Palos Hills, Il on Saturday May 14 th, 2011 It was estimated that about 70 stalks were on display. There was no classes or judging, a non sanctioned AIS event. Members displaying Iris were Diana Anshakov, Larry and Barbara Miller, Tish Callos, and Nancy Rataj. Several gorgeous arrangements were
displayed by Tish Callos, Barbara Miller, and Betsy Grimm to show how irises can be used outside of the garden. Information tables were set up to provide information on Irises, Diana made a presentation on How to select, prepare and enter iris shows. Two Irises of the distinction were SDB Vintage Rose and Rare Edition All of the Societies here in Region 9 are gearing up for their annual Iris rhizomes sales. Beginning July 10, 2011 Northern Illinois Sale at the Elmhurst Garden Walk Faire Next July 23, 2011 Sangamon Valley s Iris Sale at Washington Park Botanical Garden, Springfield Next July 30, 2011 Prairie s Iris Sale at Lincoln Square, Urbana And August 6, 2011 Mid Illinois Iris sale. I am looking forward to our Region 9 Meeting and Iris sale. Arrangements have been made to stay at the Hampton Inn on Chuckwagon Drive in Springfield. Registrations for the special rate for the American Iris Society at the Hampton have a cut off date of July 23 rd. We will be setting up for the Iris Sale on Friday afternoon August 12 at the Botanical Gardens in Washington Park from 1-4 PM. Anyone who can help with set up is welcome. All members are welcome to join us for dinner. We will be eating around 5:30 PM at the Baker s Square near the hotel. After that we will go to the hotel and set up for the silent auction and meeting. Several members would like to share their pictures and experiences of the past year after the set up. The hotel serves a free hot continental breakfast for their guests every morning. Members are encouraged to share their irises for the annual Region 9 Public Iris Sale. All irises should be marked with its name (example Beverly Sills TB) and priced. If you have any questions, please contact your local president or you may contact me by phone or e-mail). Placement of irises begins 8AM thru 9:30AM at the Botanical Gardens. Business meeting begins at 10:00AM thru 11:30AM at the Hampton Inn. A box lunch will be available 11:30 AM to 12:30PM. The silent auction begins Saturday morning 8AM and runs thru Noon. The public Iris sale will be at the Washington Park Botanical Gardens 1PM to 4PM. Clean up follows the sale. Attention all Judges!! The American Iris Society Official Ballot was due July 1, 2011 All AIS members may vote in the Tall Bearded Symposium. The symposium ballot is available on line. Voting may be accomplished in a variety of ways: a. You may mail your RVP a list of the iris you are voting for, either names and numbers, or just numbers. b. You can download the list from the AIS web site (www.irises.org), print it, mark it up, and mail it. (see the link to the ballot below) c. Most RVP s have email, and those who do will accept any of the above formats that way, too. 2. No member may vote for more than twenty-five varieties. You may vote for fewer than twenty-five if you wish. Write-in votes are not allowed and will not be tabulated. 3. Your ballot must be mailed to and received by your Regional Vice President by September 1, 2011 in order to be counted. The name of your RVP is listed inside each AIS Bulletin. Sign your ballot and mail it first class. Follow this link to the 2011 AIS Tall Bearded Symposium Ballot (PDF file) **All judges report forms are due by August 1, 2011, to be sent to Becky Simon.** Hope to see all of you in Springfield Respectfully yours, Margaret Kelly, Region 9 RVP
Region 9, American Iris Society Officers Region 9 RVP: Margaret Kelly Asst RVP: Richard Funk 1708 Holiday Drive 5519 Lincoln Highway Rd Pekin, Illinois 61554 Charleston, Illinois 61920 309-347-8561 217-345-7137 Kelly@grics.net rbfunk@consolidated.net Secretary: Debra Miller Treasurer: John Bilski 61 Laconwood 9127 Wedgewood Drive Springfield, Illinois 62712 Fairview Heights, Illinois 62208 217-529-8014 618-398-1029 Miller42@aol.com jlbilski@aol.com AFFILIATES AND PRESIDENTS Mid-Illinois Iris Society Northern Illinois Iris Society North shore Iris and Daylily Society Prairie Iris Society: Sangamon Valley Iris Society Southern Illinois Iris Society Ernie Henson 6401 Cedar Road Iuka, Illinois 62849 618-822-6584 Diana Anshakov 2928 North 4425 th Road Newark, Illinois 60541 phantomfyre@yahoo.com Alice Simon 2516 South Scott Street Des Plaines, Illinois 60018 847-827-6541 simonalice@prodigy.net Jerry Wilhoit 2282 N. 350 th Street Kansas, Illinois 61933 217-948-5478 redbud@cell1net.net Debra Miller 61 Laconwood Springfield, Illinois 62712 217-529-8014 Miller42@aol.com Gail Devilbiss 1253 Moonglow Road Centralia, Illinois 62818 618-533-4705 Website for Region 9: www.aisregion9.com
COMMITTEES By Laws: Iris Auction and Sale: Judges Training: Membership: Youth: Webmaster: Illinois Irisarian Editor: Nominating: Immediate Past RVP: Steve Poole 775 Kaid Road Eldorado, Illinois 62930 618-273-5992 gspoole@orchidsofozark.com Chuck Simon 10S122 Lorraine Drive Willow brook, Illinois 60527 630-323-5070 Becky Simon 10S122 Lorraine Drive Willow brook, Illinois 60527 630-323-5070 Pat Hayden 604 Eller Road Belleville, Illinois 62223 618-538-7267 plhayden@charter.net Brian and Carol Davis 1405 Mayfair Drive Champaign, Illinois 61821 217-359-3468 Bdavis3738@aol.com Dave Kelly 1708 Holiday Drive Pekin, Illinois 61554 309-347-8561 Kelly@grics.net Dave Miller 61 Laconwood Springfield, Illinois 62712 217-529-8014 Miller42@aol.com Jerry Wilhoit 2282 N. 350 th Street Kansas, Illinois 61933 217-948-5478 redbud@cell1net.net Nancy Pocklington 901 Eastland Drive #C6 Auburn, Illinois 62615 217-438-9352 irislady@royell.org Website for Region 9: www.aisregion9.com
General information on the August 2011 Meeting: The Region 9 Fall Meeting will be Friday afternoon August 12 through August 13, 2011 in Springfield, Illinois. Friday August 12, 2011 1;00 pm Set up at Botanical Gardens 1:00 pm for iris sale 6:00 pm Group get together for dinner at Baker s Square 7:30 pm Set up at Hampton Inn for Silent Auction and Meeting Later Pictures and discussion of irises seen during growing season with snacks & door prizes Saturday August 13, 2011 8:00 am to 9:30am Placement of iris for public sale 8:00 am to 12:30 pm Silent auction for AIS members 10:00 am to 11:00 am Region 9 Business Meeting 11:15 am to 12:15 pm Box lunch 1:00 pm to 4:00 Public iris sale at Washington Park Botanical Gardens, Springfield 4:00 pm Clean up by all members Accomodations: Hampton Inn & Suites 2300 Chuckwagon Drive Springfield, Illinois Phone: 217/793-7670 Rooms are $109 Rooms are available until July 23 rd (3 weeks before the meeting). They will not accept reservations after that at the $109 rate. We have the meeting room at Hampton for Friday evening and Saturday morning. Region 9 Plant Sale and Auction Thank you members who contributed to last year s successful sale. The sale was a success because of your hard work. Let s do it again. Members are urged to bring iris, daylilies, hosta, and other perennials for the sale. Please clean an trim iris and daylilies. Plants should be named and have a short description marked on them and be fairly priced. We are depending on our members for most of the sale items and it is these items that we make our money to sponsor our programs. Region 9 Silent Auction Items of the Silent Auction will consist of iris, daylilies, and other plants and items of iris interest. Iris should be from varieties introduced in 2005 through 2010. The silent auction is for Region 9 members of AIS and others who pay the registration fee. An announcement defining the specific terminating time will be made throughout the morning. All of your donations for this auction will be greatly appreciated. Region 9 Plant Exchange The plant exchange is for Region 9 members and all persons registered for the meeting. Please bring one plant or more per person attending in order to have enough plants for everyone to participate as no purchases have been made for the exchange. It is based solely on donations from members. Chuck Simon BOX LUNCHES WILL BE PROVIDED BY PANERA BREAD. PLEASE GIVE YOUR LUNCH ORDERS TO DEB MILLER (217 529-8014) BY AUGUST 6, 2011. (see enclosed menu)
REGION 9 Affiliate Calendar Dates for 2011 Region 9 Fall Membership Meeting Friday August 12, 2011 and Saturday, August 13, 2011 August 13 - Silent Auction and Public Iris Sale at the Washington Park Botanical Gardens,Springfield, IL Mid-Illinois Iris Society August 6, 2011 Bearded Iris Auction September 26, 2011 Beardless Iris Auction October 24, 2011 To be determined December 10, 2011 Christmas Party JUDGES TRAINING Ballots and reports are due! AIS Ballots were due July 1 August 1 AIS Activity reports for all judges must be to me!! Please mark your calendars. Becky Simon Prairie Iris Society Saturday, July 30, 2011 - Annual Iris Rhizome Sale Lincoln Square Village, Urbana, IL - Tentative Saturday September 24, 2011 - Fall Meeting Meeting place to be announced later Sangamon Valley Iris Society (SVIS) July 23, 2011 Iris Auction for club members & Iris Sale for public Washington Park Botanical Gardens, Springfield, IL September date To be determined - Work Day at Washington Park Botanical Gardens October 21, 2011 - Types of Iris-Nancy Pocklington Southern Illinois Iris Society July 30, 2011 Fall meeting and sale Garden Judging of Louisiana Irises In May of 2012 (changed from 2011) Southern Illinois Iris Society (SIIS) will sponsor 3 hours of free garden judging training of Louisiana Irises. Trainers: Jerry and Melody Wilhoit Location: El Dorado, Illinois Guest Iris Chair: Steve Poole This will be the first such judges training session of Louisiana Irises by Region 9 AIS. Pre-Registration will be needed to determine food quantities more details at a later date. Northern Illinois Iris Society No report
Mid-Illinois Show Report (submitted by Anita Stephens) The May 7, 2011 Mid-Illinois and Southern Illinois Iris Society show at Alton Square Mall in Alton, Illinois was represented by a colorful and beautiful display of 80 irises to the public. The majority were in the Tall Bearded Section. Attendees were John Bilski; Mike and Gail DeVilbiss; Patrick Hayden; Ernie, Ann, and Ellen Henson; Leora and Ralph McTall; Anita Stephens; and Jeff Kassly. Master Judges for the show were Steve Poole from Eldorado, Illinois and Jerry and Melody Wilhoit from Kansas, Illinois. Clerks for the show were Leora McTall and Gail DeVilbiss. Keith Keppel s Fogbound entered by Anita Stephens and Jeff Kassly was selected as Queen of Show. Anita and Jeff also received the Silver Medal and Certificate. Leora McTall was a very close runner-up with iris La Scala also hybridized by Keith Keppel. Leora is the recipient of the Bronze Medal and Certificate. The Henson s entry of Dividing Line in the Miniature Tall Bearded Section hybridized by Chuck Bunnell and introduced in 2004 won Best Specimen in the Miniature Tall Bearded Section. Anita Stephens and Jeff Kassly won Best Specimen of Show in the Intermediate Bearded Section with Starwoman by Marky Smith. The show photographer was Ralph McTall. Sangamon Valley Show Report (submitted by Debra Miller) The Sangamon Valley Iris Society held its 2 nd Annual Iris Show on May 14, 2011 at Washington Park Botanical Garden in Springfield, Illinois. There were 8 exhibitors and 102 entries of 97 cultivars. The Queen of Show was Dorothy Devenport entered by Sue Perryman. (Sue joined the SVIS on the day of the show and only entered one cultivar.) Tall Bearded runners up were: 1 st runner up Stairway to Heaven entered by Nancy and Irv Pocklington 2 nd runner up Alpena entered by Debra and Dave Miller 3 rd runner up Mango Passion entered by Renee Burns and Joe Carlove The Best in the Intermediate Iris Section was Misfit exhibited by Patrick Hemmer. Renee Burns was awarded the Division II Best Design with her entry in Class 3 Rees Memorial Carillon. Nancy and Irv Pocklington received the Silver Medal sweepstakes award with 14 first place ribbons. Debra and Dave Miller won the Bronze Medal sweepstakes with 13 first place ribbons. Prairie Iris Show Report (submitted by Melody Wilhoit) The Prairie Iris Society held their 24th Annual Iris Show at the Lincoln Square Village Mall in Urbana, Illinois on Saturday May 21, 2011. There were 8 exhibitors and 109 entries with 105 cultivars shown. The Best of Show was Tuscan Summer, exhibited by Jerry & Melody WIlhoit. The Silver Medal winner was Jerry & Melody Wilhoit. The Bronze Medal winner was Brian & Carol Davis. The Bronze medal for Outstanding Educational Exhibit was Margaret Kelly. The Youth Division had 3 exhibitors with 12 entries and 9 cultivars. The Best Specimen for Youth was Yaquina Blue exhibited by Josh. The Silver Medal was won by Carson with 4 blue ribbons and the Bronze Medal was won by Emily for 2 blue ribbons. There was an increased interest in our Show this year as we gained several new members who indicated interest in iris and wanting to get involved in learning about irises. A special thanks to our judges for this show who were the following: Barbara & Larry Miller, Ernie & Ann Henson, Richard Funk and Anita Stephens. The show chairmen were Brian and Carol Davis. Thanks to all our members for participating in the show and making our show most successful.
American Iris Society-Region 9 Spring General Member Meeting Meeting Minutes Rochester Community Center Rochester, Illinois April 2, 2011 Margaret Kelly, President, welcomed everyone to the meeting.. Call to Order: Margaret called the meeting to order at 10:03. Approval of minutes: Margaret said the minutes were published in the newsletter. She asked for any revisions or corrections. There were none. Nancy Pocklington made a motion the minutes be approved as published. Steve Poole seconded the motion. Motion carried. Treasurer s Report: John Bilski gave the Treasurer s report. (His report follows the minutes.) Chuck Simon made a motion to approve the Treasurer s report. Brian Davis seconded the motion. Motion carried. Committee Reports: Membership: Patrick Hayden provided an update on membership. We have 127 members in Region 9 Judges Training: Becky Simon informed the group that 3 judges provided insufficient paperwork. Youth: Brian Davis reported he will be working with Sandy Mason, University of Illinois to increase interest in the AIS and local societies. He also talked about contacting local schools. Nancy Pocklington suggested Brian do something with public television which airs a spot on Thursday s at 7:00 p.m. She said Diane Nolan would be the contact. Steve Poole suggested Brian contact Agriculture teachers and Future Farmers of America. Steve said Future Farmers of America have projects. Auction and Sale: Chuck Simon thanked Margaret, the people from Springfield, and the donators for the successful sale in August 2010. Chuck Simon made a motion Region 9 spend $150 for irises for auction from Mid America Paul Black and Tom Johnson. Nancy Pocklington seconded the motion. Motion carried. Advertising for the sale was discussed. The following people will handle advertising: Illinois Times Renee Burns Springfield Shopper Renee Burns Newspaper Orville and Lu Dickhaut Signs Renee Burns People who bring iris on Saturday morning will need to bring them between 8:00 am and 9:30 am to allow everyone to be at the meeting at 10:00 am. The sale will be from 1:00 pm to 4:00 pm.
Lunch arrangements were discussed. Debra Miller will work on the details. Newsletter: Dave Miller reported on the newsletter costs, deadlines, future topics, and costs. Becky Simon requested the newsletter contain information about Judges training. Web-Site: Dave Kelly reported the web-site is up and running. By-Laws: Steve Poole suggested the By-Laws be on the web-site. He had no amendment suggestions. Web Master: Dave Kelly reported everything is working well and those attending agreed. Dave received a round of applause (initiated by Ernie Henson) for a job well done. Reports by Affiliate Presidents: Northshore Iris & Daylily Society Alice Simon was not present. Prairie Iris Society Jerry Wilhoit reported they will be moving their meeting place. The restaurant where they were meeting closed.. Mid Illinois and Southern Illinois Iris Society Ernie Henson was not present. Sangamon Valley Iris Society Debra Miller reported information on SVIS was published in the newsletter. Northern Illinois Iris Society Diane reported the Society will be having an event at a garden center. Old Business: August Meeting: Margaret reported Region 9 Fall Meeting will be Friday afternoon August 12 through August 13, 2011 in Springfield, Illinois. Friday August 12, 2011 1:00 pm Set up at Botanical Gardens 1:00 pm for iris sale 6:00 pm Group get together for dinner at Baker s Square 7:30 pm Set up at Hampton Inn for Silent Auction and Meeting Later Pictures and discussion of irises seen during growing season with snacks and door prizes Saturday August 13, 2011 8:00 am to 9:30am Placement of iris for public sale
8:00 am to 12:30 pm Silent auction for AIS members 10:00 am to 11:00 am Region 9 Business Meeting 11:15 am to 12:15 pm Box lunch 1:00 pm to 4:00 Public iris sale at Washington Park Botanical Gardens, Springfield 4:00 pm Clean up by all members Accomodations: Hampton Inn & Suites 2300 Chuckwagon Drive Springfield, Illinois Phone: 217/793-7670 Rooms are $109 Rooms are available until July 23 rd (3 weeks before the meeting). They will not accept reservations after that at the $109 rate. We have the meeting room at Hampton for Friday evening and Saturday morning. Judges Training: Region 18 provided judges training at Mineral College Farmington, Missouri in the fall of 2010. Approximately 14 people from Region 9 attended. In Your Backyard : Kelly Norris, editor of the Bulletin of the American Iris Society is soliciting contributions to a new department called In Your Backyard. This is an opportunity for readers to contribute information about their garden, what they grow, their favorite things, and their successes. Steve Poole talked about submitting an article on pink irises. Iris Encyclopedia: Per Robert Pries, as of December 2010, there are over 100,000 hits on this web-site. Margaret reported it contains over 32,000 cultivars and 21,000 images. Margaret reported they are going to have to enlarge their servers. Plant Auction: Region 9 is having a plant auction at this spring meeting. Everyone was to donate a plant iris, daylily, or perennial. Judges Training: Judges training today will be worth 2 ½ hours of training credit. Conventions: April 14 through April 16, 2011 Median Iris Convention Oklahoma, City, Oklahom
May 20 through May 21, 2011 May 29 through June 2, 2011 June 24 through June 25, 2011 Region 6 Spring Meeting and Garden Tour, LaFayette, Indiana. Garden Tour on Saturday from 7:30 am to 5:30 pm. Garden Judging at Bunnell Garden. Cost of Garden Tour is $60. AIS Convention Victoria, British Columbia, Canada Fairmont Empress Hotel Japanese Iris Convention Greater Portland Iris Society Portland, Oregon Iris Shows: May 7, 2011 Mid Illinois Iris Society and Southern Illinois Iris Society Alton, Mall, Alton, Illinois May 14, 2011 Sangamon Valley Iris Society, Washington Park Botanical Garden, Springfield, Illinois May 14, 2011 Northern Illinois Iris Society, mock Iris Show. Clinic on preparing iris for show at 10:00 am May 21, 2011 Prairie Iris Society, Lincoln Village Mall, Urbana, Illinois Iris Sales: July 23, 2011 Sangamon Valley Iris Society, Washington Park Botanical Garden, Springfield, Illinois July 30, 2011 Prairie Iris Society, Lincoln Village Square, Urbana, Illinois End of July Northern Illinois Iris Society, Table & Iris Sale, Elmhurst Garden Walk August 8, 2011 Mid Illinois Iris Society, Public Sale 8:00 am to noon. Club Sale 1:00 pm Garden Visits: Margaret encouraged everyone to visit a garden or two while the irises are in bloom, so that we will have the opportunity to see new and different irises than we grow. Margaret said she will have an Open House on May 22, 2011 beginning at 1:00 pm Donation to Washington Park: Steve Poole made a motion to give a $250 donation to Washington Park Botanical Garden, Springfield, Illinois. Nancy Pocklington seconded the motion. Motion carried. Judges Training: Margaret said if anyone needed Garden Training, she would be happy to provide 2 hours of garden training. Panel Conducting Training: Margaret thanked the members who agreed to participate on the panel discussion of Culture and Cultivation of Irises. The members of the panel will be giving pointers on planting and growing different classes of irises. Adjournment: Meeting adjourned. Respectfully submitted by Debra Miller, Secretary, Region 9 AIS, July 5, 2011
Region 9 Treasurer Report Balance on hand 1 Jan. 2010 $6,462.41 Income: Interest for 2010 $ 74.88 Returned check from Rochester rent $ 30,00 Fall plant sale $2,813.05 Total Income for 2010 $2,917.93 Expenses for 2010: Dues for Steve Varner $ 25.00 Irisarian $ 357.74 David Kelly Web Site $ 238.65 Breakfast spring meeting and refreshments $ 148.05 Region 8 National Convention $ 200.00 Fall plant sale Mid America & Wilhoit $ 200.00 Becky Simon postage judging supplies $ 334.64 Fall ads State Journal Register $ 254.16 Lunch Panera $ 216.40 M. Kelly National Convention $ 264.62 AIS contribution for members $ 100.00 Total Expenses: $2,339,26 Balance on Hand 31 Dec. 2010 $7,041.08 John L Bilski, Treasurer Region 9
Washington Park Botanical Gardens 1740 West Fayette Springfield, Illinois The Washington Park Botanical Garden, which is open year round, is one of Central Illinois major horticultural attractions. It has 20 acres of land featuring more than 1800 species of plants in 10 specific garden areas and the Conservatory. The Conservatory is a 50-ft diameter glass dome containing over 150 species of plants with exotic and economically important plants. The plants are arranged by regions to which they are native. The Botanical Garden also features an additional 9,000 square feet of indoor greenhouse area. Discover tropical Africa, the jungles of Asia, and the rainforests of South America. Seasonal displays include Easter lilies, poinsettias, orchid exhibits and Japanese bonsai displays. Surrounding the conservatory are a variety of gardens, including a 5,000 plant rose garden, the largest of its kind in central Illinois, an Iris and Daylily Garden, perennial border, Betty Mood Smith Rockery, peony collection, shade garden, Roman Cultural, and Learn-to- Grow garden.