February 2020

************NOTICE*************

CHANGE IN MEETING DATE FOR FEBRUARY

MEETING: SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 8, 2020 at 6:30 P.M

LOCATION: BUILDING T-1 AT FORT MISSOULA (Our usual meeting place at the fort.)

POTLUCK SUPPER, SHORT PROGRAM REGARDING SIBERIAN IRIS,

DISCUSSION AND PASSING OF BUDGET, AND A REPORT FROM GARY CLARK AND DONNA DOWELL,

CO-SHOW CHAIRMAN FOR THE ANNUAL IRIS SHOW, JUNE 13.

(Sorry for any inconvenience regarding the meeting change. Swede, treasurer, and I, president, may be out of town on February 1, our usual meeting time. A family member of ours is having surgery. Also the vice president Gary Clark has a prior commitment.)

REMEMBER IT IS TIME ONCE AGAIN FOR PAYMENT OF DUES.

YOU MAY SEND THEM TO SWEDE GUSTAFSON, TREASURER, 3128 ELDORA LANE, MISSOULA, MT 59803.

Betty Ann Gustafson, President

ELIZABETH FRIESZ – Rest in Peace

We have just been notified that our long time friend and Missoula Iris Society member Elizabeth Frieze passed away late last year of age related causes. She lived a long and very active life; she was in her late 90's when she passed and for the last few years she had been living in Fort Benton, Montana in a convalescent home near one of her two sons and a daughter in law.

For many years Elizabeth had a large home and acreage in the Fish Creek area near Alberton. There she grew huge productive gardens of iris. Mnay of us remember visiting her home and touring her gardens when she hosted the iris society meetings numerous times. Her gardens were her joy.

Elizabeth had a passion for iris...and she loved to participate in our annual iris shows and our meetings. She came to the iris shows at Southgate Mall loaded with beautiful blooms and no doubt won her share of awards.

When poor health and aging forced her to move from her home, she donated her iris to MIS for the annual sale. That year many of the MIS members spent a day in her gardens, digging, cleaning and saving many of her beautiful iris for our rhizome sale.

The members of the Missoula Iris Society sincerely regret the loss of our long time friend and wish to extend our loving condolences to her family.

2019/2020 MISSOULA IRIS SOCIETY BUDGETING INFORMATION

CATEGORY 2019 BUDGET 2019 EXPENSES 2020 BUDGET

ACCEPTED ACTUAL TO ACCEPT

SHOWS

MEDIAN...........................................300..........................0.................................300

MALL..................................................600.......................460...............................600

JUDGING SEMINAR........................0.............................0.............................1200 ** **

IRIS SALE..........................................500........................276...............................500

FORT GARDEN

MAINTENANCE.............................500 .......................305...............................400

LAWN CARE............................................................................................................300

GARDEN WEEDER.....................1500........................696............................1700

MISCELLANEOUS................................................................................................200

NEW RHIZOMES................................................................................................0*

SOCIETY OPERATION EXPENSES

GENERAL............................................500........................167.............................400

NEWSLETTER...................................200........................150.............................150

PRINTING...........................................100............................0...............................100

CONTRIBUTIONS...........................200.........................200 ...........................200

REGION 11 RVP...............................100............................50...............................50

SPECIAL EVENTS/PURCHASES..200 ......................200

PLANT MARKERS............................200............................0***........................200

GARDEN RENOVATIONS..........1000.........................166**.....................2500

TOTALS...............................................5900.......................2670.......................8800

* refers to a note in the following information

NOTES REGARDING THE 2019 EXPENDITURES:

*RHIZOMES: 12 NEWER INTRODUCTION RHIZOMES WERE PURCHASED FROM ENSATA GARDENS FOR THE 12 PRESIDENTIAL AWARDS AND 6 NEWER INTRODUCTIONS FOR THE FORT SIBERIAN BED. THE TOTAL COST WAS PAID FROM THE SPECIAL SAVING ACCOUNT FOR RHIZOME PURCHASES. VALUE WAS $378 PLUS I PURCHASED 2 BAGS OF POTTING SOIL TO POT UP ALL THE RHIZOMES PRIOR TO DELIVERING THE RHIZOMES TO THE LUCKY RECIPIENTS. THIS SPECIAL ACCOUNT HAS $392 REMAINING FOR PURCHASING NEWER IRIS RHIZOMES THE SOCIETY WISHES FOR 2020. FORT RHIZOMES ARE AT MY GARDEN UNTIL SPRING TIME PLANTING.

**RENOVATIONS:

CONTINUED THE RENOVATION WORK IN 2019 BY: 1) REMOVAL OF ALL WEEDS FROM THE MEDIAN BED WHICH IN SOME CASES MEANT DIGGING OUT THE RHIZOMES TO GAIN ACCESS TO THE WEED ROOTS, THEN ADDING A THIRD LEVEL OF CONCRETE BLOCKS TO THE EXISTING BLOCK WALLS, THEN LAYING DOWN A 4 TO 6 INCH LAYER OF MARCHIE'S SOIL MIX TO THE EXISTING SOIL. THEN THE RHIZOMES WERE REPLANTED NEAR THE SPACE WHERE THEY HAD BEEN. WHEN THE VARIETIES WERE DUG THEY WERE SO PACKED TOGETHER, ESPECIALLY ON THE WEST FACE OF THE BED, THAT I AM NOT SURE WHAT VARIETY IS REPLANTED BY THE NAME TAGS. ONLY WHEN THE RHIZOMES BLOOM WILL WE KNOW FOR SURE WHO IS WHERE. I DID, HOWEVER, RELOCATE SOME VARIETIES I KNEW WERE OK TO OTHER OPEN SPOTS IN THE BED. TOTAL COST FOR THIS RENOVATION WAS $133.00

IN SEPTEMBER AFTER HEARING SOME REMARKS ON HOW BAD THE EAST SECTION OF THE DYKES BED LOOKED, I DUG ALL THE IRISES AND WEEDS FROM THIS BED OVER A THREE DAY PERIOD. SOME OF THE VARIETIES WERE MISSING, SOME HAD ONLY A FEW RHIZOMES BUT SEVERAL HAD MANY RHIZOMES. I PLACED EACH VARIETY IN A TRAY TO ENSURE THEIR NAMES BEING WHAT THE TAG SAID. AT THE NORTH END OF THE BED I REPLANTED 140 RHIZOMES OBTAINED FROM THE DIGGING AND PUT UP A FENCE ABOUT THE PLANTS TO KEEP THE 4-LEGGED AS WELL AS 2-LEGGED CREATURES FROM WALKING THROUGH THE PLANTINGS. I ALSO DID REPLANT SOME VARIETIES WHICH ONLY HAD A COUPLE OF RHIZOMES ABOUT THE PERENNIAL GERANIUM NEAR THE PATIO AREA. LATER IN THE MONTH, I LEARNED FRED FREY HAD A CONTACT WHO WAS INTERESTED IN PURCHASING SOME OLDER DYKES IRISES. SO MANY OF THE REPLANTS WERE PULLED AND WE SENT OFF A BOX OF RHIZOMES TO NORTH CAROLINA THE LAST PART OF SEPTEMBER WHICH CONTAINED ABOUT 120 RHIZOMES. THE SOCIETY RECEIVED A CHECK FROM THE PERSON LAST WEEK FOR THE RHIZOMES PLUS THE SHIPPING COSTS. WE WILL BE INTERESTED TO KNOW HOW OUR RHIZOMES DO IN NORTH CAROLINA. TOTAL COST FOR RENOVATION $0.00

IN OCTOBER I CLEANED UP THE REMAING PARTS OF RADIAL BEDS 3, 4, AND 6 BY FIRST REMOVING THE WEEDS AND EXCESS SOIL. I PLACED THE EXCESS SOIL ONTO BED 6 WHICH I THEN USED TO REPLANT A PERENNIAL FROM BED #3 ONTO BED #4. I LAID DOWN 5 ROLLS OF SOD WHICH WAS EXCESS FROM A RENOVATION IN MY BACKYARD. I THEN PLACED A FENCE ABOUT THE PLANTED AREA FOR THE SAME REASON AS NOTED IN THE DYKES BED REPLANTINGS. TOTAL COST FOR THIS RENOVATION IS $33.00

PLANT MARKERS:

***A MEMBER OF OUR SOCIETY, LESLIE LOWNEY, GAVE A DONATION OF $270.00 TO THE SOCIETY IN 2019 FOR PURCHASING PLANT MARKERS. I PURCHASED 500 PAW PAW PLANT MARKERS FOR THE SUM OF $236.00. THEREFORE, I WILL LEAVE THE $34.00 REMAINING IN THE SPECIAL ACCOUNT FOR FUTURE USE IN PURCHASING MORE PLANT MARKERS IN 2020. THANK YOU LESLIE FOR ASSISTING YOUR IRIS SOCIETY.

2020 RENOVATION THOUGHTS:

2020 PLANS ARE TO BUILD AN OBLONG RAISED GARDEN BED IN THE SPACE WHERE THE EAST WING OF THE DYKES BED EXISTED. THE SOUTH PEONY WILL REMAIN IN PLACE AND THE NEW RAISED BED WILL BEGIN TO THE NORTH OF THIS PEONY AND EXTEND NORTHWARD TO MEET THE NORTH PEONY WHICH HAS BEEN TRANSPLANTED. THE BED LENGTH WILL BE SOMEWHERE AROUND 16 TO 18 FEET AND 6 TO 7 FEET WIDE. EACH END OF THIS NEW BED WILL BE ROUNDED AND SOD WILL BE LAID IN THE REMAINING AREAS OF THE EXISTING BED. THE FEW REMAINING RHIZOMES OF THE DYKES AWARDS REPLANTED AT THE NORTH END OF THE EXISTING DYKES BED CAN BE REPLANTED INTO THIS NEW RAISED BED. AS AN ALTERNATIVE IF THE MEMBERS SO DESIRE, 2020 INTRODUCTIONS CAN BE PURCHASED WHICH THEN COULD BE PLANTED IN THIS NEW BED. THESE EXISTING DYKES RHIZOMES COULD THEN BE SOLD AT OUR RHIZOME SALE.

ESTIMATED COST FOR CONSTRUCTION OF THE NEW BED WILL BE AROUND $700.00 IF THE CLUB MEMBERS DO ALL THE WORK. WE COULD HIRE MARCHIES LANDSCAPERS TO DO THE WORK AT AN ESTIMATED COST OF $1500.00 WHICH TO ME IS NOT A HUGE AMOUNT. WE COULD BE THE LABORERS WHO WOULD BRING THE BLOCKS AND SOIL INTO THE SITE TO SAVE MONEY ON THE CONSTRUCTON. I SEE THIS JOB BEING DONE IN LESS THAN ONE WEEK. WE SHOULD SCHEDULE FOR EARLY SPRING TO DO THIS PROJECT.

** ** JUDGING SEMINAR 2020:

THE JUDGING SEMINAR IS A NEW ITEM FOR 2020. THIS EVENT WILL OCCUR DURING THE GENERAL SHOW TIME AS THE JUDGES HAVE REQUESTED TO HAVE TWO JUDGES TRAINING SESSIONS DURING THE GENERAL SHOW. ONE WILL BE AT THE SHOW AND THE OTHER WILL BE FOR GARDEN JUDGING. BOTH OF THESE ARE REQUIRED BY ALL OF OUR LOCAL JUDGES TO CONTINUE THEIR STANDINGS. A JUDGE HAS BEEN CONTACTED AND IS WILLING TO COMPLETE THE TRAINING NECESSARY. THE SOCIETY WILL NEED TO PAY FOR HIS EXPENSES AND TRAVEL. JUDGES TAKING THE COURSES WILL ALSO BE REQUIRED TO PAY FOR EACH CLASS THEY ATTEND.

Submitted by Swede Gustafson, Treasurer

TREASURER'S REPORT: as of January 22, 2020

SAVINGS ACCOUNT BALANCE $ 9674.58

CHECKING ACCOUNT BALANCE $562.62

There has been very little activity in either account this month so my report is to the point.

MEMBERSHIP DUES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! It is my desire to update the Membership list for 2020 by the middle of February so those people who have not paid the 2020 dues, PLEASE forward them to me by February 15. If I do not have the dues by then, I will place your name on the unpaid list and you will not appear on the 2020 membership listing and no longer receive our newsletter.

Respectfully submitted,,

Erling Gustafson, Treasurer

Presidential Rhizomes: August: Gary Clark, Sept.: Cindy Davis, Oct.: Marie Nyquist, Nov.: Jim Sadler

MIS MEETING/EVENT SCHEDULE

Saturday, February 8, 2020 - Meeting and pot luck supper beginning at 6:30 p.m. at Fort Missoula Building T-1.

Saturday, March 7, 2020 - Meeting and pot luck supper beginning at 6:30 p.m. at Fort Missoula Building T-1.

Saturday, April 4, 2020 - Meeting and pot luck supper beginning at 6:30 p.m. at Fort Missoula Building T-1.

Saturday, May 2, 2020 - Meeting and pot luck supper beginning at 6:30 p.m. at Target Range home of Gary Clark and Steve Hesla.

Saturday, May 23, 2020 - Median Show tentative date

June 2020 - Ice cream social - date to be announced

Saturday, June 6, 2020 - Meeting and pot luck supper beginning at 6:30 p.m. at home of Fred Frey.

Saturday, June 13, 2020 - MIS Iris Show at Southgate Mall. Show Banquet - Time and location to be announced

Saturday, July 11, 2020 - Meeting and pot luck supper beginning at 6:30 p.m. at home of Jim and Linda Sadler.

Monday, July 20, 2020 - Sale preparation begins. Additional details to come later.

Saturday, July 25, 2020 - Annual Rhizome Sale near Fort Missoula Display Gardens - Sale begins 9 am to 1 pm

1:30 pm. - After sale patio party at home of Billie Gray

August, 2020 - No meeting

September 2020 - No meeting

Saturday, October 3, 2020 - Meeting and pot luck supper beginning at 6:30 p.m. at home of Swede and Betty Ann Gustafson

Saturday, November 7, 2020 - Board and Budget Meeting at 5:00 p.m. at home of Carol Addeo and Al Ledford. Regular meeting and potluck supper beginning at 6:30 p.m.

Sunday, December 13, 2020 - Christmas party and pot luck supper at home of Billie Gray beginning at 4:30 p.m