November 2021
NO NOVEMBER MEETING
There will be no meeting in November. Considering the incidents of Covid 19 in Missoula we think it is best not to meet. The availability to meet outside is no longer viable since we are beginning our cold weather season. We will go month by month to determine whether or not we can meet safely.
The Missoula Iris Society would like to wish Linda Sadler, society member, a speedy recovery. She has returned home after having been in the hospital for several days. Our thoughts are with you.
Matt Lautzenheiser, the Executive Director of the Fort Missoula Museum, attended our October meeting to go over our renewable 5 year lease between Missoula County and the Fort Missoula Iris Garden. We expressed some concerns regarding the lease. Jim Sadler, society member, is working with Matt on these concerns.
Budget:
The budget for 2022 was presented at our October meeting. After discussion, the budget was accepted. You may refer to the October newsletter if you need to review the budget information or contact Swede Gustafson, treasurer, if you have any questions.
Officers for 2022:
The current officers have consented to remain in their positions for 2022. Members at our October meeting voted to re-elect the current officers to another term. They are: President, Betty Ann Gustafson, Vice President, Gary Clark, Secretary, Carol Addeo, and Treasurer, Swede Gustafson.
Calendars:
2022 American Iris Society calendars are for sale by our club again this year. They are $4.00 each. If you would like one, please contact Betty Ann Gustafson, President, 406.251.3526 and I can get one to you.
AIS Silent Auction: Request from the American Iris Society. The Missoula Iris Society would like to participate. You may let Cindy Davis, our Regional Vice President and Missoula Iris Society member, know if you have anything that could be used to represent our society. Cindy's email is cibby55@gmail.com. A few of our members are planning on attending the convention.
From AIS - 2022 Convention April 11-16 Las Cruces, NM
After a long wait, it is nearly that time again to finally attend another AIS National Convention and the excitement is building! We need your contributions for a wonderful silent auction at the 2022 AIS Convention in Las Cruces, NM. Everyone, please go through your closets, your garage, your stored boxes, your basements or declutter, and consider donating your clean treasures of any kind for the Silent Auction! There are people who love iris, people who love iris books, people who love iris dishes, people who love iris clothing, people who love old iris catalogs, people who love gardening items, people who love IRIS ANYTHING!
Many come to the AIS Convention Silent Auction to find those special treasures they have been looking for and can take them home to enjoy.
Missoula Iris Society Member Delane Langton:
I’m wanting to know if you have much rebloom in your neck of the woods and what varieties might fit for you. I’ve collected a huge batch of rebloomers and actually had almost 60 rebloom. Several more stalks are coming, so fingers crossed the weather stays nice. I’m going to hybridize for cold zone rebloom so it would help to know what has worked for you. I’ll send over my spread sheet after it’s over for this year. You can also publish this letter if you think it’s worthy/ helpful. Happy Irising! Delane & Jane
Delane H. Langton
Eagle Ridge Iris Gardens
1008 Eagle Ridge Drive
Billings, Montana 59101
(406)698-3567
HOW TO GET MORE REBLOOM IN YOUR MONTANA ZONE 4B GARDEN
First and foremost, grow more of them. Only partly kidding. We lost over 660 varieties to our mild winter of 2020. So we’ve added back 2000 more, focusing on known rebloom (Re) and we didn’t limit ourselves to only ones labeled as known zone 4 rebloom. I had added the new ones into spots left from the 2020 losses, so I had to water them due to our long hot summer. Lots of Re isn’t reported, so purchase ones down to zones 6-8. You never know....
#1: Buy rebloomers
#2: Water more, especially after bloom as they are getting ready to go again. It helps to group rebloomers together, as “oncers” do not want or need extra water.
#3: Apply a light application of fertilizer after bloom to feed.
#4: Divide every two years instead of four, as rebloomers are more actively growing and will need more room and soil improvements sooner.
Now for the disclaimer, Re can and will be sporadic. We grow Immortality, English Cottage, Belvi Queen, Rock Star, and most other Big Sky Iris Club known rebloomers for our area and sometimes they just won’t Re. July is the time to divide them, improve the soil with fertilizer and compost and water them in. Half of our 60 rebloomers are new (to us) plants, planted in July. I watered them every few days during that hot, dry summer. We had zero rebloom around the house as we just could not keep them watered and they turned yellow (summer dormant).
All our rebloom was in the watered lower garden. The new area (where the new rebloomers were planted) had two inches composted manure and fertilizer (15-15-15), tilled in, then watered every few days. Normally once a week would be enough.
Where do you get them? First, club Farmer’s Market, because members know what will rebloom here after years of growing. Then, Sutton’s who specialize in Re and list on their site known rebloom zones (but, as noted before, don’t let zones discourage you). Winterberry Iris, Don and Ginny Spoon, also hybridize for rebloomers. Nola’s Iris has a big Re category, but are expensive! Now, most commercial sources will have a Re category. Keep in mind that California, zones 8 & 9 sources will list reblooming iris that probably won’t rebloom here, but try the zones 5,6 , & 7 and you will be surprised.
Lots of times the name and hybridizer will give clues to their reblooming. For example, Again and Again, Back Again, September Splendor, Autumn Jester, Double Shot, Mulligan all hint towards rebloom. Hybridizers who have specialized in Re such as Zurbrigg, Byers, Hager, and newer Sutton, Spoon, Lauer, Chapman, Tasco, Lockatell, Shadlow are great resources.
Please report your rebloom to Tina so it can be shared with members and get back to the Reblooming Iris Society. Also, join the Rebloom Iris Society to get the informative e-magazine 2 times a year. Great photos and articles for only $12/yr or $30/3 yrs.
Link:
https://www.irises.org/reblooming-iris-society/
Go get some more rebloomers and good luck!!
Happy Irising!
MINUTES OF MISSOULA IRIS SOCIETY of October 2, 2021
The Missoula Iris Society meeting was called to order at 2:15 p.m. by President Betty Ann Gustafson on Saturday, October 2, 2021. It was an outdoor meeting in the Fort Missoula Iris Gardens due to COVID limitations.
New members Jeanne Bowes, Alan Wittenberg and Ann McNallum were introduced. Welcome! Judy Blunt announced she is a new grandmother, a baby boy born in Tennesee. Congratulations!
Fort Garden Agreement: Matt Lautzenheiser, Executive Director of Historical Museum at Fort Missoula, was introduced to discuss the Memorandum of Understanding between Missoula Iris Society and Historical Museum at Fort Missoula regarding maintenance of the Fort Gardens. Member Jim Sadler suggested the MIS shed also be included in the agreement. The liability insurance was discussed...there is blanket liability insurance provided through Friends of the Fort. MIS also has liability insurance for all events. It was decided to have a once a year meeting between leadership of MIS and the museum leadership. Matt Lautzenheiser mentioned the need for museum volunteers at the front desk if anyone is interested.
Winter Protection of Iris: Discussion of winter protection for iris followed, specifically whether to clip of not to clip. Our area has not had a killing frost yet, just some light frost. Advice was not to cover, but to trim in tent fashion. Some members clip in the Fall, some clip in the Spring. Clean up the dead leaves and diseased leaves, do not compost; throw into the garbage. Jim Sadler shared his method of yanking any falling over fronds from the bottom in the Fall and discarding.
Siberian Iris: Swede offered free Siberian iris to anyone in attendance and offered advice on their winter care. He displayed a table of potted Siberian iris with name tags from our display garden free to any members who wanted them. Winter protection for Siberian iris include cutting to the ground in the Fall. Potted Siberian iris can be wintered over in a pot if kept frozen or in a basement.
Treasurers Report: The treasurer's report was given by Treasurer Swede Gustafson. He commented that the 2021 rhizome sale was the best sale ever for a tremendous $5,078, about $1,000 more than any previous sale, perhaps due to the use of a credit card processor. We also sold all the leftover rhizomes in 24 grab bags. Thanks go to Gary Clark for getting on the phone to his gardening friends and selling all the grab bags within 5 days.
OLD BUSINESS
Garden walkway: Brief discussion of the plans for a handicapped friendly path to allow visitors to walk in the garden. All the grant information is not yet in, but a preliminary bid is $8,000 - $11,000, possibly using decomposed granite. The requirements for the grants are that MIS must provide some cash and assistance in construction. Friends of the Fort will provide a grant of $5,000. There may be other smaller grants from other sources available.
NEW BUSINESS
2022 Flower Show: Jim Sadler announced plans for a joint flower show next year on June 10 and 11th at the Holiday Inn Downtown with the Montana Federation of Gardens. MIS would host the iris show in the atrium and a peony show would also be hosted by Gary Clark and friends. MIS would donate $250 towards expenses and the rest will be collected in fund raising small donations organized by Jim.
The weekend program will include a nice awards dinner. And the Saturday program will also include garden tours utilizing two hired busses. That tour will include the Fort Missoula Display Iris Garden and the peony garden near the university, ending with a tea party at the yard of Jim and Linda Sadler on Saturday afternoon.
2022 Proposed Budget: The proposed budget for MIS was printed in the newsletter. Swede summarized some budget items to explain them to new members. He mentioned the need to hire a tree specialist for the split cherry tree in the iris garden to try to save it for the patio bench shade it provides. Jim Sadler made a motion we accept the budget as proposed. The motion passed to approve the 2022 budget of $5,550.
Officers for 2022: President Betty Ann presented a slate of officers for 2022:
President Betty Ann Gustafson
Vice President Gary Clark
Secretary Carol Addeo
Treasurer Swede Gustafson
These are the same officers as this year because they are all willing to continue. Cindy Davis made a motion we keep the same officers. The motion passed.
Presidential rhizome winners are: for August is Jim Sadler, for September is Jeanne Bowes.
The meeting adjourned at 3:30 p.m.
Respectfully submitted
Carol Addeo, Secretary
TREASURER'S REPORT: as of October 26, 2021
Well, the summer time we've all enjoyed sure went south in a hurry this week. I still have lots of gardening things to accomplish so hope there will be some warm sunny days to get these items completed. Two issues for the Society's garden were taken care of this month: the sprinkler system was winterized by Paul Ronaldo Sprinklers and a crew of 8 people gathered at the garden on Sunday afternoon October 3 for a clipping party to cut down the bearded irises fans for the wintertime. This crew was headed up by Judy Blunt and the irises received their haircuts in less than 3 hours. The Siberians and other beardless irises will receive their clipping/cleanup in November if the weather holds. I like to leave the Siberians for a little longer to give the rootstock a little more food and it takes quite a while to gather up all the smaller sized fans as it is basically a two handed job to cut the fans away.
Following is the financial status of the checking account only. Per advice from a finance person I should not publish the saving amount in the newsletter so I will no longer do this. I will give the numbers at a meeting only.
Financial Status:
CHECKING: August 31, 2021 reported balance.. $ 1761.01
Deposits............................. 71.00
sub-total ..........................1832.01
Expenses Paid................... 175.00
October 26 balance .......$ 1657.01
Deposits: Sale of 4 each 2022 calendars @ $4.00 each ...$ 16.00
4 Memberships received at Sept meeting ............................40.00
Donations received for plants obtained ...............................15.00
Total ..................................................................................$ 71.00
Expenses: Friends of the Historical Museum ..................$100.00
Paul Ronaldo Sprinklers – winterize ...................................75.00
Total .................................................................................$175.00
MEMBERSHIP DUES: The membership dues are now being accepted by me for the 2022 calendar year. The dues remain at $10.00 per member and can be mailed to me at the address shown below. Those new members listed below who have joined the society in 2021 will be considered as a paid up member until the end of December 2022. All others please pay dues so I can update the new memberhsip list for mailing in early 2022. NEW MEMBERS: Kitt Adams, Rachel Ballard, Luanne Cathey, Frances Coover, Dave Ensner, Delane Langton, Frances McDermott, Nancy Meuli, Eric and Sheila Moulton, Trish Petrilli, Denise Severson, Anne McNallen, Jeanne Bowes, Alan Wittenberg, Vickie Burgmeier, Dave Pittman.
My address is:
Missoula Iris Society
3128 Eldora Lane
Missoula, MT 59803
Respectfully submitted, Swede Gustafson, Treasurer
PRESIDENTIAL RHIZOME WINNERS: August, Jim Sadler; September, Jeanne Bowes.
MEETING LOCATIONS: No meeting in November. After that as dictated by Covid.