Joe Ghio got best BB and Pacifica in the AIS awards.

Asking me to choose a favorite hybridizer is akin to asking which Iris is my favorite. As I collect more and more, and see more of what others are growing, my tastes evolve. I love them all for different reasons. This is my year for Tasco and Ghio though.

Some of those that aren't "superstars" to us have also put out some great introductions. Duncan, Kasperek, Stewart, Filardi, Burseen, Kerr, Lauer, the Painters, Shadlow, Spoon... to name a few off the top of my head.. I'm grateful for all the hybridizers who went before and to all those who are trying their hand at it now. In a few years we may be clutching our pearls over some introductions by one of us. You never know

I was not surprised to see Gypsy Lord named for the Dykes. It's a splendid Iris in all ways -- and deserves this honor.

I need to go over the convention thread again, there was a lot of beautiful Iris posted on that thread by some of the not as famous hybridizers. I think Marky Smith was one of the hybridizers that I was very impressed with.

I just bought a Graeme Grosvenor iris - Kaligazam. (fabulous color in photos)- I have one other of his in my collection - Austar Pink.
Now I must google him!

edit: He's a prolific hybridizer in Australia. Who knew?

janwax said:Congratulations, Keith Keppel!

What surprised me was the length of time it takes to get the Dykes recognition. Gypsy Lord was intro'd
in 2006. But, thinking about it, I guess it takes that long to prove an iris's reliability. It sure is pretty
and vigorous in my garden!

This is a fun and interesting thread!

I have found myself very drawn to Thomas Johnson's intros for sure. He's doing some great work with pinks, which I LOVE. And also some uniquely colorful ones, like Having a Party and Beacon of Light- those really grab me.

As I look down the hybridizer row in my data base, I also see several by Paul Black, Keith Keppel, and of course quite a few Schreiner.

If you introduce new irises, then you are on my favorites list.

I was just looking through all the pinks that Ghio has put out. I got a bunch of them this year. My neighbors (first rate enablers) were at the last club dig and they decided that I needed to get a lot of Ghio intros. As I'm filling out my data sheets, I'm surprised at the number of pinks. Mid-America has been putting out some nice ones too.

Remember Gypsy Lord had to be in commerce for 2 years to get its first award & move up from there. It isn't an 'instant' process.

Lucy -- most of us are not acquainted with the process. Can you explain it step-by-step?

2 years after introduction the plants are eligible for an honorable mention (HM). They are on the list for 3 years. 2 years after an HM they are eligible for an Award of Merit (AM) Again on that list for 3 years. 2 years after an AM they are eligible for the Medal for their class. Again on the list for 3 years. After the class medal they go straight to the Dykes list. On the list for 3 years.

John has a medal (Williamson-White) for MTB Billie the Brownie. People saw it at conventions. It is difficult for the smaller hybridizer because of distribution. It has to be seen several times by judges.
My highest award is a HM ( 2 of them actually).

Thanks for the awards explanation, Lucy. Very helpful.

And congratulations on your two HMs ! - what are the irises' names?

So if I'm reading that right, it takes a minimum of six years from introduction to the Dykes Medal?

approximately, that is if you hit it bang, bang. bang. But most don't get an HM on the first try. The plant has to be seen by enough judges. Think of when you get a plant, then it has to perform. The PNW gardens have a great chance because judges may have seen the plant as a seedling before being introduced into commerce.

Got it. Thanks for the detailed information, Lucy. You're a treasure!

Thanks, but I have to know from an awards & ballots course in student judge training.

janwax said:I've been exploring the iris database and have established that I have
more Blyth iris (60) , out of more than 300 cultivars,than any othe rhybridizers'. However, I also noticed that Blyth, of Tempo Two, has
no awards listed here - and I think that's because he's Australian.
The awards are for Americans, I think? So Blyth is left out - EXCEPT for Adoree. It's listed as having Honorable Mention 2011 and Award of Merit 2013. I wonder why the exception? I'm so anticipating the bloom of Adoree!!!
I love his colors, his ruffles, their substance. They make a statement!

Who is your favorite?

The first requirement for a favorite iris of mine is that it must grow in the environment I can easily provide for it! Most of the Blythe's I have tried do not last, so for the moment I have eliminated him from my pool of choices...

I have 300ish now that are in their first or second year. My land will be a nice test spot for more northern growing. Really, 2 years ago; I had 3 historics, a patch of At First Sight rhizomes from a storage auction, and Blue Moon sibs a tenant planted in blasting south sun.
Let's see who does well in Maine. Black must. I get a lot of his dwarfs at the swap.

If plants do well in Maine it would be nice to let the hybridizer know if they are recent introductions. They would love it.

Foreign irises need to have their plants introduced in the USA or Canada to get AIS awards. Much more difficult now with shipping restrictions.