When will the Dykes Medal for 2006 be announced?

If I am not mistaken it should be soon. Also, I gather there are several other awards announced about that time. Anybody have any guesses about which Irises will win?

Awards should be announced in August some time
:)
A

They were announced to the Iris mailing list today. Looks like SEA POWER by Keith Keppel won the Dykes.

Complete list of awards here:

http://www.usjoneses.com/jijones/AIS_Documents/

Thanks Ida was just going to post it
:)
Anita

Thanks so much! I have ordered Sea Power this year. I hope it comes through!
Betty

WAY TO GO KEITH!!!!!!!!!!! :0)

Thanks for this list--Hush Money is a very pretty LA Iris. Sorry folks but the others I don't know since they won't grow here for me. ;)
Debbie

SDB Ruby Eruption won.
Cheers for Chuck Chapman.

I love RUBY ERUPTION!! It's probably my favorite SDB.

Sea Power didn't bloom the first year in my garden but sure made up for it in it's second year.

Hi doss!
That is a stunning picture. I have Sea Power on order. I am glad you warned me that it takes a while to get started. That way I won't be disappointed. Actually, I am not sure why, but most iris takes a while to get started in my garden.

Maybe they take awhile because you are in zone 5a? Could be.

Perhaps you are right. I never understood. I just noticed that eventually they all bloom. A small percentage bloom the first year or two, but most bloom the third year. I bet it is just a short growing system that causes them to be so slow.

When you get iris, even if you get some dug from down the road, when they are clean dried and replanted, the roots you see are not the roots that will nourish the plant later. These will allow you to anchor the new planting until new roots grow. They will eventually die off as new roots take their place, which is why new plantings are so easy to pull up for weeks, even months after they are planted. Some iris are very vigorous and will bloom the 1st year after planting but the majority are busy putting down roots and re-energizing the rhizome.

I am tickled when I get a first year bloom because I don't expect it. But is sure is nice to see.

:)
A

Thanks for the info. Now I know my experience is not unique. I, too, one in a while get a first -year bloom. But only in a small portion of my newly planted rhizomes. And I agree, it is always a thrill.

Because of my warm gardening zone, almost all iris bloom for me the first spring. Sea Power was an unusual exception but you can see that it increased incredibly well.