Region 21 May 2024 Newsletter is now available

Posted on May 1, 2024 by wrmesser

The latest issue of the Region 21 Newsletter is now on its way to AIS Region 21 members. Those with email addresses receive it as a pdf and others receive a paper copy.

You can see the Region 21 May 2024 Newsletter online as well. Here is the link you need: https://aisregion21.files.wordpress.com/2024/05/region-21-newsletter-may-2024.pdf

Reminder: The Region 21 February 2024 Newsletter (pdf) contains the registration form for the Region 21 Spring Meeting May 24-25.

The second portion of the Region 21 May 2024 Newsletter is also on its way to AIS Region 21 members and can be seen online here as well: https://aisregion21.files.wordpress.com/2024/05/region-21-newsletter-may-2024-part-ii.pdf

Region 21 Newsletter and Spring 2024 Meeting

Posted on February 1, 2024 by wrmesser

The Region 21 February 2024 Newsletter (pdf) is now available. It contains news about new Region 21 hybridizers, clubs’ news, members we’ve recently lost, and, of course, details of the Region 21 Spring 2024 Meeting.

The 2024 Region 21 Spring Meeting will be in Madison County, Iowa May 24th and 25th. Just southwest of the greater Des Moines area, is where the gardens we will be visiting are. This map shows their location along with other Madison County highlights.

Region 21 Fall 2023 Regional Meeting – Sioux City, Iowa

Posted on June 17, 2023 by wrmesser

The Siouxland Iris Society is hosting the Region 21 Fall 2023 Meeting this year August 25-27. Howie Dash will be our Judges Training and after-dinner speaker. Howie is a hybridizer of Arilbred and Tall Bearded irises. He is the 2nd Vice-President of the American Iris Society and President of the Aril Society International. He was also the Co-Chair for the AIS 2022 National Convention in Las Cruces, New Mexico where his ‘Chihuahua Night’ iris won the President’s Cup (photo above).

The meeting hotel is the Stoney Creek Inn & Suites, 300 3rd Street, Sioux City, Iowa. We have a special rate for rooms during the meeting.

Complete information including room reservations and the registration form can be found here. Send your registrations to:

Region 21 Fall Regional
%Michael Becker
509 3rd Ave SE
Le Mars, IA 51031-2407

Region 21 Spring 2023 Meeting – May 19-20

Posted on May 4, 2023 by wrmesser

The Lincoln Iris Society will be hosting the 2023 Region 21 Spring Meeting with 5 Garden Tours! There will also be in-garden Judges Training by Andi Rivarola, AIS President. Sunday, May 21st, there are 3 open gardens to visit on your own.

The April 2023 Region 21 Newsletter has details. And the brochure has the registration form.

Note: The deadline for making hotel reservations at the special rate is May 5th.

Region 21 Fall 2022 Meeting – Sioux Falls, South Dakota

Posted on July 20, 2022 by wrmesser

Everyone is invited to the American Iris Society Region 21 Fall Membership Meeting! We will be having presentations from iris hybridizer Hooker Nichols on Tall Bearded Irises and on Louisiana Irises, two of the many types of irises he has hybridized. Join us Friday evening August 12 and all day Saturday August 13, 2022

Details and the registration form were mailed to all Region 21 members last month. In case they did not reach you, here are copies (pdfs).

Invitation and Details

Registration Form

Hope to see you there!

Please Vote in the 2021 AIS Tall Bearded Symposium – Deadline September 15

Posted on August 31, 2021 by wrmesser

A reminder that there is still time to vote in the 2021 Tall Bearded Iris Symposium. The ballot was included with the Spring 2021 Irises Bulletin and is also available online here (PDF). Everyone, member or not, is eligible to vote for up to 25 of the 447 TBs on the ballot.

Your votes should reach the Region 21 RVP (Wayne Messer – wrmesser@gmail.com) by September 15th. A list of your choices and their numbers would be great.

Complete details on how to vote are available. You can also see results from previous years voting there.

Thank you for your participation.

Please Vote in the Tall Bearded Iris Symposium

Posted on July 31, 2020 by wrmesser

A reminder that there is still time to vote in the 2020 Tall Bearded Iris Symposium. The ballot was included with the Spring 2020 Irises Bulletin and is also available online here (PDF). Everyone, member or not, is eligible to vote for up to 25 of the 458 TBs on the ballot.

Your votes should reach the Region 21 RVP (Wayne Messer – wrmesser@gmail.com) by August 1st. A list of your choices and their numbers would be great.

Complete details on how to vote are available. You can also see results from previous years voting there.

Thank you for your participation.

Region 21’s Kris Jurik Featured in Better Homes & Gardens

Posted on May 27, 2020 by wrmesser

The May 2020 issue of Better Homes & Gardens features our own Kris Jurik for her peonies. Many of you will remember that some of the peonies were in bloom along with the irises in the 2017 AIS Convention.

You can see the article on the Better Homes and Garden website.

Thank you to Carolyn Lingenfelter for calling this article to our attention.

Region 21 Covid-19 Related Announcements

Posted on April 14, 2020 by wrmesser

The pandemic has caused many cancellations and changes in Region 21 and the American Iris Society:

The Region 21 Fall Meeting has been cancelled. Thank you to everyone in the Sioux Empire Iris Society who has been working to prepare for this meeting.
Region 21 Fall Board Meeting – Plans are being made to meet via video conferencing this fall.
The Region 21 newsletter has been temporarily suspended. Updates for Region 21 will be posted to the Region 21 website.
All Region 21 clubs have cancelled their iris shows. Anyone wishing to can send pictures of their garden for inclusion in a Region 21 virtual garden tour to be posted on our website.
Because judges training opportunities are extremely limited, judges needing hours in 2020 have had their eligibility extended for one year. Those that have satisfied requirements will be advanced. Judges will receive credit for any judges training already completed.
Kelly Norris has stepped down as Region 21 Judges Training Chair. Until a new chair is named, all records and questions should be sent to me.
The AIS 2020 Convention, three mini-conventions, and all Regional Spring Meetings have been cancelled.
The Garden Awards voting for 2020 has also been cancelled due to limited opportunities to view the eligible irises in gardens.

Other AIS changes will be posted, as they occur, on the Cancellations page, the AIS website News & Events page, and in the AIS electronic newsletter, News & Notes.

Check the Region 21 website for ongoing announcements and updates.

Wayne Messer
AIS Region 21 RVP
wrmesser@gmail.com