Canoga Park Women's Club, 7401 Valerio, Canoga Park, California 91303
+ Event Details
Thursday, February 7, 2019
The San Fernando Valley Iris Society is happy to present iris hybridizer Lynda Miller.
- Location: Canoga Park Women's Club, 7401 Jordan Ave. corner of Valerio & Jordan, 2 blocks east of Topanga Canyon Blvd. between Sherman Way and Saticoy St.
- Refreshments and Plant Table Sales are from 7:00 to 7:30 p.m.
- 7:30 p.m. start time
- Members and visitors are welcome
About Lynda, in her own words:
"I married into the iris world in 1970, the following spring my husband Roger showed me how to hybridize (big mistake on his part.) Living in northern Indiana I was exposed to some great hybridizers in Indiana, Ohio, and Michigan. We were located in an area that was deep into MDBs [Miniature Dwarf Bearded irises], so many of my earliest introductions where MDBs which lead me to win three American Iris Society Caparne-Welch Awards. One of my best intros was a SDB [Standard Dwarf Bearded iris] named ‘Dark Vader’ that went on to win the Cook-Douglas Medal. From 1976 through 2007, my husband and I had an iris mail order business, while I was running our plant nursery. During this time, I branched into hybridizing all size of bearded iris especially MTBs [Miniature Tall Bearded irises]. Breeding MTBs lead me to win three Williamson-White medals, one for Bangles, which also was the first iris to win both the Franklin Cook Cup and the President Cup at national conventions.
In 2007 I followed my husband to Oregon after staying behind to close our nursery; I lagged behind his move by almost one year. Running a full time nursery had consumed so much of my time the last few years before we moved that I only did a few crosses on MTBs and TBs [Tall Bearded irises]. So when I settled in Oregon there was time again to hybridize. Now I am concentrating on hybridizing MTBs and TBs, which came to fruit at the 2015 convention when our garden was on tour. At that convention my TB ‘Football Hero’ won the President Cup and my ‘Moose Tracks’ won the Ben Hager Cup. ‘Moose Track’ won the next convention also. After three rough years of health problems, last spring I was ready to roll again. I’ve lost count of how many irises I have introduced, but I’ve been told it’s over 400 — enough to be awarded the AIS Hybridizers Medal and the Median Iris Society Hybridizers Award. My irises are now being introduced by Mid-America Gardens, there are 10 this year and more to come.”
Canoga Park Women's Club, 7401 Valerio, Canoga Park, California 91303
Canoga Park Women's Club, 7401 Valerio, Canoga Park, California 91303
+ Event Details
Thursday, January 3rd, 2019
The San Fernando Valley Iris Society is happy to present Bryce Williamson.
- Location: Canoga Park Women's Club, 7401 Jordan Ave. corner of Valerio & Jordan, 2 blocks east of Topanga Canyon Blvd. between Sherman Way and Saticoy St.
- Refreshments and Plant Table Sales are from 7:00 to 7:30 p.m.
- 7:30 p.m. start time
- Members and visitors are welcome
About Bryce:
A native Californian, Bryce was born in Reedley and spent his early years in the rural San Joaquin Valley. During his sophomore year of high school, illness kept him out of school, but brought about a life-long interest in plants and gardening, especially growing and hybridizing iris. As a parallel to that interest, he also developed a long-term interest in photography.
With that interest in irises, Bryce Williamson has been creating and introducing his own hybrids since 1970. Photos of Williamson irises have appeared in national and international color catalogs and the magazines Horticulture and Better Homes and Gardens.
An interest in plants, centered on iris, fostered an interest in plant societies -- particularly the American Iris Society. He has served as president of the Clara B. Rees Iris Society in San Jose, worked on various committees for Region 14 (Northern California, Nevada, and Hawaii) of the AIS including publicity chairman and three-and-half years as the editor of The Bulletin of Region 14. He has continued to contribute articles and serve as guest editor for plant publications. From 1990 to 1993, he served as the Regional Vice President for Region 14. Region 14 has present him with their honorary life time achievement award. Bryce Williamson was also editor of Tall Talk, the publication of The Tall Bearded Iris Society.
Irises created in his garden are grown all around the world. Two of his hybrids, 'Chamber Music' and 'Prince Charming', have won the top international competition at Florence, Italy and in 1991 his 'Jesse's Song' won the William R. Dykes Memorial Medal, the highest garden honor possible for iris since only one is awarded each year.
'Jesse's Song' continues to be very popular and is still in the top 10 of the AIS’s Popularity Poll. In 1999, 'Jesse's Song' was voted the most popular iris in America in a poll based on USDA climate zones, indicating that 'Jesse's Song' can and does grow and bloom well in a wide variety of areas and climates.
Known for the American Dykes Medal 1990 winner 'Jesse's Song' among other iris. Bryce was honored by the American Iris Society with the Hybridizer Award in 2014. As a retired teacher, he is an editor and blogger for the AIS World of Irises.
Bryce will discuss his concerns that the history of societies and regions is being lost; he will also present images of gardens, people, and irises from his spring trips in Northern California, Oregon, and Washington.
Canoga Park Women's Club, 7401 Valerio, Canoga Park, California 91303