Simpkins Swim Center

www.montereybayiris.org
August, 2016
Next meeting August 19, 2016
Doors open
7:00 p.m.
Meeting7:30 p.m.
Place
Simpkins Swim Center
th
979 17 Avenue, Santa Cruz
Newsletter of the Monterey Bay Iris Society
Meeting Location
Simpkins
Swim
Center
2016 Calendar
Monthly meetings are held in Simpkin
Swim Center unless otherwise stated.
Annual Sale
Sale.. . . . Cabrillo/Aptos Farmer Mkt
Saturday, August 20th. 8 a.m.–12:00 p.m
Regular Meeting
Friday, August 19,. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7:30 p.m.
Bill the Bloom Baron
Refreshments
Potluck at the Swim Center
Regular Meeting
Friday, September 16. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7:30 p.m.
Beardless
Joe Ghio
Refreshments
Carolyn Craft, need second volunteer
New Meeting Location
Over the the history of the MBIS, we have been meeting a variety of venues.
Our first meetings and founding meeting was at the meeting hall at the UC
Extension offices on Freedom Blvd. in Watsonville. Our first show was held
there the next year. In those years (the ’70s, 80s, 90s) S&L had community
meeting rooms. We moved to the Salinas Valley S&L (now Chase) on Main
St. in Watsonville. As S&L began phasing out their meeting rooms, we moved
to Watsonville S&L on East Lake in Watsonville. From there we moved to
Citicorp room at Ocean and Water streets in Santa Cruz. With its room closed,
we moved to the Native Sons Hall.
With our welcome there ended, we are now moving to the Simpkins Swim
Center on 17th Avenue in Live Oak area in East Santa Cruz.
There is a link to Google maps on the website and you can also access that the
map here, but it is easy to find. Take the Soquel Ave. exit from Hwy. #1 to the
frontage road on the ocean side of the freeway, Soquel Ave. (the frontage road
on the Dominican Hospital side of the freeway is Soquel Drive).
On Soquel Ave. continue to the 1st signal which is 17th Ave. (Staples is on the
south corner). Turn onto 17th Ave and continue about 1½ miles. Pass Brommer
which has a signal and in 2 blocks when you cross the railroad tracks, turn
RIGHT immediately and some yards down that road is the Swim Center.
Regular Meeting
Friday, October 21,. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7:30 p.m.
PCIs
Refreshments
Kathy Wood, need second volunteer
Regular Meeting
Friday, November 18. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7:30 p.m.
TBA
Refreshments
Barabara Hanson, need second
Annual Holiday Dinner
Location to be Decided
Friday December 16 .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6:00 p.m
August Birthdays
Suzanne Caron August 18
Carolyn Craft August 18
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Board of Directors 2016
President
Craig Tarr cht2325@yahoo.com
Past President
Barbara Hanson behanson@pacbell.net Vice President
Barbara Hanson behanson@pacbell.net 408-425-7207
831-335-4949
831-335-4949
Treasurer/ Librarian
Larrissa Daniel Larissa_paniza@hotmail.com 831-724-9162
Secretary
Entry doorway to Swim Center
Brenda Wood
Jim Cummins
August Meeting
Hospitality & Refreshments
Our August meeting on Friday the 19th, will feature a special
speaker—Bill the Bulb Baron. This is your chance to learn
about planting and growing those wonderful bulbs that
bloom at the same time as iris. And, bulbs don’t take over
your garden and push out the iris, but are right there as a
accent. To find out more about Bill, check out his website,
billthebulbbaron.com.
This will be our first meeting at the new location, Simpkins
Swim Center. To kick off the event we will be having a
potluck dinner prior to the meeting. Please bring all those
wonderful dishes!
JULY PICNIC AND AUCTION
woodbrenda@aol.com
jcummins@pacbell.net
831-724-5415
831-438-1369
Shirley Trio
Show Chair
Charley Kearns kcf@verizon.net
Newsletter Editor
Joe Ghio
ghiobayview@att.net
Webmaster/Newsletter Editor
Ann Pike
baynews@baymoon.com
408-315-1520
831- 423-3656
831-426-8855
1 Year Board
Kathy Hartman
Ann Pike
Shirley Trio
2 Year Board
On July 16, we returned to our old location, under the
Sherry Austin
big oak, for our picnic/auction. It seemed like coming
Wayne Crabbs
back home. Craig Tarr again, supervised the raffle ticket
Rosanna Kennedy
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sales and called out the raffle winners. Larissa Daniel and
Charley Kearns recorded and tallied the auction bids with
the valuable assistance of Rosanna Kennedy remembering
winning bid numbers. Joe Ghio, auctioneered with
detailed descriptions of each rhizome, assisted by Jim
2016 AIS Symposium
Cummins with pictures. Of course, this created interest
The symposium is an annual popularity poll of Tall Bearded
in each one. Spotters and runners were Jim Cummins and
(TB) iris conducted by the AIS. All AIS members may
Wayne Craft.
vote in this symposium. The top 100 Tall Bearded iris are
There were 27 bidders. The highest amount paid was $23
then ranked and the results of the symposium each year are
for ‘Valley of Dreams’. The second highest was ‘Cross My
published in the official publication of the AIS, the AIS
Heart” for $22. The highest amount paid in 2015 was $35
Bulletin, usually within the January issue. All AIS members
for ‘Arriverderci’. The highest total purchased, this year,
receive this quarterly publication as part of their AIS
was $120.
membership. The full results are published on the
We did much better this year raising $1,134, compared to
AIS website.
$828 lat year. This year totals: auction—$832, raffle and
Every member of The American Iris Society may partici“Pick from the lawn”—$302.
pate in this balloting of the irises listed below. Each member
We auctioned 2 more rhizomes this year, but the average
is allowed twenty-five votes. There will be extra ballots at the
per rhizome was $10.27, compared to $7.37 last year. We
August meeting or you can go to:
did quite well raising funds for our club, and everyone
http://www.irises.org/About_Irises/Awards_Surveys/TB_Symposeemed to have a good time and ate more than our fill, and sium.html
that is what is important. Another great MBIS event.
Thanks to all that helped, brought iris, contributed
culinary masterpieces, AND bought iris!
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www.montereybayiris.org
Bay News, August, 2016
Charley
Kearns
July Picnic
2016
Bay News, August, 2016
www.montereybayiris.org
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www.montereybayiris.org
Bay News, August, 2016
From The Prez
CULTURE TIPS
f you haven’t done so already, this is the
month to kick your replanting of bearded irises into
high gear. If your soil has been used before or it is
very light, it is well to add organic matter to your beds in the
form of compost, manures or even something like mushroom
compost. A light application of super phosphate or bone meal
is also helpful. You can apply by broadcasting and work them
in or put a handful in each hole as you plant.
Before replanting it is best to dip all your irises, newly
acquired or even your own, in a bleach solution, one part
bleach to 9 parts water. Submerge the plants up to at least
one inch above the rhizome. Keep them in the solution for
10-15 minutes, then dunk them in clear water and set
them out to completely dry before planting. This last direction is very important or else you are likely to have deformed
plants in the spring. This process of soaking in bleach is
helpful in killing off any fungus you do not want to introduce to your garden.
Bearded irises tolerate being out of the garden for some
time, but keep them in the shade. Cut them back just before
planting to keep them from falling over and to force new
growth to form. TBs do best if the sun can get to the top of
the rhizomes. Keep the weeds away from the plants, If you
do not feel like pulling weeds later on, sprinkle some pre
emergent on your beds after you are done with your planting.
Be sure to use markers to label your plants, and draw a map
of the new area showing the new varieties, so you will know
which iris is which even if you loose the markers.
If you have rebloomers planted together, this is the month
to give them a light application of a balanced fertilizer and
a weekly watering. This is more likely to encourage repeat
bloom. If they are mixed in with your other irises, you can do
the same to them, but more growth on non-repeaters won’t
encourage them to rebloom. % Joe
I
Door Prizes
Members need to bring to the August meeting good recent
iris to share as door prizes. Bring favorite irises for the
drawing. The door prizes will depend on what members bring
to this meeting. Rebloomers would be really great!
Bloomers
Bring your rebloomer to share! First drawing goes to those
who have brought blooms. Rebloomer drawing starts in
August and goes until February.
Bay News, August, 2016
ow is the time for cataloging all the new iris for
your garden and renewing your vow never to buy
more than you have room for. Out with the old and
in with the new. Karin and I expanded our passion and are
building 80 feet of new raised beds to accommodate all the
recent arrivals. I hope we can fit them all in.
The Spring Region 14 dig was last Tuesday, (Same day
as the Cummins dig). I went up to Nola’s iris garden to
represent MBIS and met many nice people and hung out
with Gary and Nola Prevost during the dig. I had no idea
how many iris needed to be dug up and was glad it was not
a National. By the end of the day I was tired but came home
with a nice iris or two to add to my collection.
Thursday was Joe’s dig at the farm. As usual we had a big
turnout, food by Irene and laughter. At the end of the day we
sauntered into the berry patch and “sampled” some. Again, I
came home with some good rhizomes and now have to add a
small bed to put them.
Our big event, the Deer Park sale was August 6th and it
was well attended by volunteers and customers. I was there
early and had lunch at Red Apple afterwards. It seems to be
tradition. We have one more sale coming up where we will
need help—the Aptos Market sale on the 20th.
And a reminder to all…call me if you need my opinion
or have to contact me. E-mail is only checked twice a
week % Craig
N
Upcoming Meetings
Our September meeting on Friday the 16th will feature
Beardless Iris. Learn about Japanese, Spuria, Siberian,
Lousianna, and a variety of other iris. Many of these iris are
tall. All are a wonderful addition to your garden. The speaker
will be Joe Ghio who for several years hybridized Spurias.
Our October meeting on Friday the 21st will feature Pacific
Coast Iris. These are the iris native to our area and are often
found wild in our coastal hills. Our speaker is Joe Ghio. If
you have been to our Spring Iris shows, then you are familiar
with his PCI introductions and seedlings. The American Iris
Society annually gives out the Sydney B Mitchell Award for
the best Pacific Coast Iris and Joe Ghio has won this award
over a dozen times. He is the expert to hear when you want
to learn about these wonderful little iris!
Everyone is welcome to attend our meetings. Come join us,
have fun and learn tips about gardening and iris!
www.montereybayiris.org
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