Wanda Lunn in Iowa Gardener

Part of Lunn Garden 2010

Region 21 member Wanda Lunn and her garden will be part of the July/August 2017 issue of Iowa Gardener.  You can see part of this article “New and old grow in harmony in Cedar Rapids, Iowa” online.  The complete article “Harmoniously Blending the New and Old” can be found as a garden profile on pages 58-63.

I should also mention that in April the Heart of Iowa Iris Growers had Wanda speak to us on historic irises and HIPS.  She was a great speaker, knowledgeable and very enthusiastic.  Thank you Wanda!

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Region 21 Hybridizers at the AIS Convention

Region 21 was well represented by guest irises from its hybridizers at the recently concluded Convention “Rhythm of the Prairie”.  The hybridizers were:

Links are to each hybridizer’s page on the Iris Encyclopedia.

Their introductions competed for the President’s Cup voted by all registrants at the Convention.  The results, you may have seen these on Facebook and they will be in the Irises Bulletin, are:

All seedlings, Region 21 or not, compete for the Lloyd Zurbrig – Clarence Mahan Seedling Cup.  LeRoy Meininger’s seedling LM-14-03 was the 1st Runner-up for this cup.

Thank you to all our hybridizers for the guest irises and congratulations to all the winners!

New Affiliate Forming – Heart of Iowa Iris Growers

The Heart of Iowa Iris Growers is a new American Iris Society affiliate forming in Iowa.  Our first meeting was September 8 and the enthusiastic members agreed to have our meetings the last Thursday of the month beginning in October, 2016.  Come to our meetings and help us grow!

Heart of Iowa Iris Growers members would like to invite interested people to their second regular meeting Oct 27, 2016 at 7 pm.  The meeting will be held at the Greater Des Moines Botanical Garden. Please inquire at the desk to be directed to the meeting room.  Our speakers that evening are Kelly and Libby Jensen who will be sharing preparation for entering iris for judging at an iris show.  We will discuss the yearly calendar and future meeting site.  All are welcome who love Irises!

Region 21 Fall Meeting August 12-13

AIS Region 21 Fall Meeting ———- August 12 & 13, 2016

Hosted by Siouxland Iris Society, Sioux City, IA

Note: In case you did not receive the information below in the mail, here is a printable PDF – AIS Region 21 Fall Meeting 2016 you may use for your registration.

 

Holiday Inn Map for Regional

Hotel Information: Lodging and all meetings will be at the Holiday Inn at 701 Gordon Drive Sioux City, IA 51101. (712-277-9400 ) For those coming in on I-29 take the Wesley way exit and turn north towards the Hard Rock Casino which is located on 3rd Street. Take a right on 3rd Street and proceed towards Pierce street. Turn right on Pierce and then turn left on to Gordon Drive. Watch as the Holiday inn will be on your right. For those that may come in on Highway 20 from the east proceed straight as this will turn into Gordon Drive. Proceed towards downtown and you will see it on your right. We have blocked off 20 rooms at the rate of 89.95 with a hot Breakfast included with your room. They will have either a King executive or Queen executive room for this rate. They all will include a refrigerator and microwave. They are newly remodeled as well.

Convention: Register Friday evening from 6:30 till 8:00 PM. Light snacks and drink will be provided during this time. You will get a registration packet also at this time.

Food: Friday evening meal on your own. Breakfast will be provided with your room reservation. Saturday noon lunch will be a soup & salad buffet. Evening meal will be a choice of Country Fried Steak, Roast Round of Beef of Ham. Please indicate which choice you would like for the evening meal on your form. All meals will be provided by the hotel. The cost will be $40.00 per person, ( checks payable to Siouxland Iris Society ).

Saturday schedule: ( Specific times will be announced ) Board meeting soon after breakfast. There will be judges training sessions in both the morning & afternoon with the annual business meeting following the afternoon training. Then the dinner in the evening followed by the rhizome auction. Also bring some of your own rhizomes or club rhizomes for table sales for a bargain table.

Pre-registration for the Convention: Please print your information on the form at the bottom of the page with your check made out to the Convention registrar: James Bailey 421 Forest View Sioux City, IA 51103 . His phone number is 281-300-1940. Your form should be received by August 5 so we can finalize the meals. Any late forms will cost extra.

Name(S)__________________________________________________

Address___________________________________________________

Phone # ___________________________________________________

E-Mail_____________________________________________________

Evening Meal Choice ( ) Country Fried Steak

( ) Roast Round of Beef

( ) Ham

Region 21 Grower in the News

CichGarden2014An article about Mark and Jenny Cich’s iris garden recently appeared in The Ashland Gazette.  This has been a great year to view, and order, irises in their garden.  You can see the article here.  Learn more about their gardens, Hello Gorgeous Gardens, on its Facebook page.

They were also one of the six tour gardens in the 2014 Spring Region 21 Tour that the Lincoln Iris Society hosted.  The above photo is from that tour.  That was another good year for seeing their garden.

Have You Registered for the Spring 2016 Whirlwind Tour?

Just a quick reminder, the Region 21 Spring 2016 Meeting is a Whirlwind Garden Tour of the host gardens for the 2017 AIS Convention.  This is an opportunity to see all 5 host gardens in one day, May 21st!  Indications are there will be lots of blooms.  Details can be found in this PDF brochure and registration form.  Let us know you will be attending.

Region 21 2016 Spring Meeting

The Region 21 Spring Meeting this year is the Whirlwind Garden Tour which is a one day dress rehearsal for the AIS 2017 National Convention. Details have been mailed to Region 21 members.  In case you did not receive it or would like more copies, 2016 AIS REGION 21 Brochure is the PDF of the brochure.

Hope to see you here May 21st and next year to enjoy the irises and all the great irisarians!

Regions 21 Affiliates

Region 21 has 6 Clubs located in Iowa, Nebraska, South Dakota, and Manitoba.  You can find your closest Club on this map.  Or see these in a live Google Map at BatchGeo.

Region21AffiliatesMap2015

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

These are:

  • A = CAN-WEST IRIS SOCIETY
  • B = GREATER OMAHA IRIS SOCIETY
  • C = LINCOLN IRIS SOCIETY
  • D = MONUMENT VALLEY IRIS SOCIETY
  • E = SIOUX EMPIRE IRIS SOCIETY
  • F = SIOUXLAND IRIS SOCIETY

See the Who We Are page for links for some of these and the AIS Region 21 Affiliates page for contact information.

Happy 65th to Region 21

Blue Rhythm

‘Blue Rhythm’

This is Region 21’s  65th year; so before it’s over a quick look back.  Region 21 was formed with Iowa, Nebraska, North Dakota, and South Dakota on January 1st, 1950.  Iowa and Nebraska had been part of Region 18 which had been formed from Region 9 in 1947.  Region 9 had been Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, and Nebraska.  When Region 18 was formed, only Illinois remained as Region 9.  Then in 2010, Region 21 was expanded to include the provinces of NWT, Nunavut, Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba.

The first Regional Vice-President was Mrs. Ralph E. Ricker, 1516 Ross St., Sioux City, Iowa, according to the list of RVPs in the Bulletin of the American Iris Society, January, 1950.  1950 was also the year the AIS Spring Convention was held in Sioux City, Iowa and the year that Agnes Whiting of Mapleton, Iowa won the Dykes Medal with ‘Blue Rhythm’.

Thank you to everyone who has made Region 21 great over the years and to all of you who are helping to continue the tradition.