Ive never shown irises before but i remember reading something about it somewhere. Check with the AIS. you could probably ask them and also check with you ais region too. Make sure when you show irises they are considered good for show. branching, form and all that other stuff must be taken into consideration. I wish i could remember where i read that info but you should be able to find it if you ask the ais.
good luck

Two suggestions. 1. Get in contact with your local iris society affiliate. 2. Buy the judges handbook from the AIS.

I don't think the JT manual is all that helpful on grooming and especially transporting flowers to the show. The novice might be intimidated by the JT manual. Only page 72 is of any help.

You do need to join the local club. Has Mount Pleasant been having shows, I don't recall? If not, the nearest would be Dallas. Grooming programs generally are held at the meeting before the show and you can learn a lot there.

People have as many ways to transport irises as there are cultivars. Some people build PVC pipe configurations and haul their specimens in vans or large covered cargo trucks.

One popular way to transport the irises is with the newspaper/bucket method. You can start saving newspapers now. Roll up the entire newspaper and put rubber bands at both ends. Don't roll them so tightly that you cannot get a stalk through the rolled up paper. But also roll it tight enough that the stalk won't wobble in transit. (I already have three buckets ready to go for next spring).

Place the newspapers (and it does take a lot of them) in large plastic buckets like paint is mixed in. The bucket will be taller than the rolled up newspapers. When you are ready to start cutting, place water in the bottom of the bucket so that the newspaper will draw it up. This moisture keeps the irises fresh. You can put only four or five stalks in a bucket, depending on the branching of the stalk. You want to place them through the newspaper opening as if the paper was a long sleeve. Make sure no flowers or stalks touch each other. You should have enough paper in the bucket to keep the stalks from swaying when you start driving. Of course, the judges will be looking for well-branched stalks, and that is what makes this a delicate matter. You want to look for stalks that will have two to three or more open flowers that are fresh.

You need a lady's make-up brush to brush away spider webs or aphids and also to wipe off fingerprints from stalks. Some judges are very picky about fingerprints. You want the freshest flowers you can find so they will hold up during the show. Since you have an extensive collection, I wouldn't pick any that have been in bloom two days or more. It is too complicated right now to tell you how to groom those. You can learn other tips at the grooming school covering spent blooms, seed pods, etc.

If there are brown spots on the leaves or the tips have turned brown, you need to trim that off. Use another iris leaf as a template and trim off the unsightly matter.

Don't wait until the morning of the show to make selections. You can put a tag on a stalk several days in advance of the show if it looks like it will open on the day of the show or the afternoon before. Start cutting the afternoon before and bring the stalks into the house or garage. Depending on outside temperatures, some of the stalks may need to be placed in a cool room if the flowers are open or in a warm room if the buds are swollen and will open over night.

You really need a van or an SUV that has a high roof. Irises are delicate and fragile.

Don't hit any bumps on the way to the show and don't make any jackrabbit starts!

Walter Moores

Oh it was so good to hear from all of you.

Yes, Walter the Mt. Pleasant group is meeting. Earlier this month we elected officers. It was my very first meeting and several people wanted to elect me as one of the vice presidents. I declined, telling them I didn't think it would be a good choice since I've never belonged to any kind of iris club or society. They understood and said that I would be in training for the next election.LOL

I knew that I could count on a few iris people here telling me EXACTLY what to do and how to transport them. I am somewhat at a disadvantage living futher away than most of the members. So I will have a good ways to drive to get there and on some of these wonderful East Texas backroads full of pot holes and all.

I would have never in a million years thought of transporting them in those 5 gallon buckets with newspaper rolls. That's a wonderful ideal. Now I must start saving all my newspaper for shows instead of keeping the weeds out of the flower beds.

How many flowers do you normally show and is there a limit.
I know that of all the people I know you will be able to give me some of the best pointers.

I would not have worried too much about finger prints either. So I'm already ahead by asking questions. I don't want to wait till the last minute and then ask. I want to know and be well prepared before the irises even start to bloom. I planted a bunch so I'm crossing my fingers that I will have some outstanding ones to show.

Thanks again Walter and please feel free to continue sharing information regarding showing the iris in April. We need something to discuss here anyway and keep this forum interesting.

Happy Gardening, Ya'll

A show schedule will be issued at the meeting prior to the show, and it will tell you if there is a limit on entries.

Some iris societies issue PVC pipe stands to their members who like to have their entries table ready. This method is used by people who have large vans that have had the seats removed. I prefer the bucket/newspaper procedure.

Also, I have seen some use pipe insulating material as 'sleeves' for the irises in the buckets. Some even use the PVC pipe in the bucket.

Walter Moores

Great information Walter. Now I have another question. Do they provide a vase for display or do you bring one or what? I really know nothing about these shows but I'm gathering information as fast as I can from people I know are knowledgable about them. I do appreciate all your help.

Marian

A lot of shows are using PVC pipe on a 6 to 8 or maybe more inch base. As I said, some societies let you take these home and you can make your entries table ready, but I find transportation difficult this way, hence the buckets.

Other societies use bottles. Fort Worth used to use prune juice bottles unto you could not longer get them. I don't know what they use now. Dallas uses a clear PVC pipe on a wooden stand. You'll have to find out what your club does.
Memphis uses PVC pipe. Little Rock uses any kind of bottle in a white paper sack. This is the only place I have seen this done and don't favor it.

Walter Moores

Great information Walter. I'm going to call the president and ask her what they use. Maybe I can get some information from her too.

I didn't want to ask her a bunch of dumb questions without knowing what I was talking about. Now which display do you prefer? The white pvc with the wooden bottom or what?

I'm really excited about this and want to cover all my bases before it gets close to show time. (grin)
Thanks as always for sharing your knowledge.

Marian

Marian,
Do Post some photo's of you're Irises when the time comes
for show & tell ! We would enjoy seeing them.
Best of Luck !! Olga,

Yes, please post pictures! I'll be looking forward to them, good luck!

Oh How fun.. My family started showing irises a couple of years ago. My son had one make it to the Queen's Table this yr. I am still waiting... After you start showing irises, you will learn more and more.
As far as transporting them to the show..We use the 5 gallon bucket with the rolled up newspapers method . I drive a Dodge Neon and have 2 children and 1 husband that also have to be in the car. We have to drive 45 minutes to get to the closest show. My best advice is to be VERY careful.

littlebit

Well I'm so glad everyone is giving me information about transporting, getting the irises ready, and driving instructions. I promise you all this will be a learning experience like never before.

I'm also going to be taking the Master Gardeners Course starting in January. I must be crazy starting all this stuff at this age. I should be downsizing instead of starting all over and growing every iris I can get my hands on.

I'll take some photos but I don't have the cord that goes from my camera to my computer any more. I'll have to see if I can buy one. My camera has a chip and holds over 500 photographs. LOL and I don't know anything about it other than putting them all on a disk since I lost the cord. I don't know how to do them from the disk to a email. I'll have to learn that too. Don't hold ya'lls breath on that one. (grin)

Happy Gardening, Marian

Hi Im new to this group. I have been debating on joining my local club, which isn't so local (45 miles away through mountain/foothill roads), and entering their iris show. The problem is I don't know the names of my irises, which is required for entry. Any ideas how to id them? Thanks for all the info on transporting etc...it's been great!