NEWSLETTER

NO MEETING IN FEBRUARY, 2026

NEXT MEETING, SATURDAY, MARCH 7, 2026

HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE!

DUES FOR 2026: It is time once again for payment of your annual dues to the Missoula Iris Society. Dues are $10.00 per year, per person. Please send your dues to the Missoula Iris Society, Attention: Betty Ann Gustafson, President, 3128 Eldora Lane, Missoula, MT 59803.

BOARD MEETING FEBRUARY 10, 2026: A board meeting will be held February 10, 2026, at 6:30 PM at Southgate Mall.

The 2026 budget for the Missoula Iris Society will be presented for discussion and we will plan upcoming events for the society. The board consists of the president, vice president, secretary and treasurer. Members are welcome to attend and share their input.

Come in the main entrance at the Southgate Mall. We will be at a table midway down that entrance hallway.

2025 REBLOOM REPORT

Eagle Ridge Iris Gardens, Delane H. Langton & Jane Tibbs, Billings, MT, 59101 – Zone 4b: The article by Delane Langton, member, is included in this newsletter. It includes a list of rebloom iris and their experience with their rebloom iris. Check to see if you have any of these rebloom iris, or maybe are thinking of growing some. If you would like to comment to Delane about your rebloom iris, email him at eagleridgeiris@gmail.com.

CONDOLENCES: Bob Symes, a charter member, has passed away. Bob spent endless hours helping to create and maintain our iris garden. He will be missed. Our condolences go out to his daughter, Tanya and family, and his son Todd and family. A memorial service is being planned for this summer.

DONATION FOR ANNUALS in the Missoula Iris Society Garden at Historical Fort Missoula: Each year Judy Blunt plants a few annuals in the garden for color during the season. One of our members graciously gave $500.00 toward the purchase of annuals for the garden.

Our member so appreciates Judy's commitment to our iris garden. The donation for annuals will keep the garden inviting all year long.

ENERGIZE YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD GRANT WITH THE CITY OF MISSOULA: We have been granted $1600.00 from the application of a grant for the renovation of the Dykes Bed at the Missoula Iris Society Garden. After a site inspection and review of financial statements of the project, the City recognized a job well done and will reimburse the society in the amount of $1600.00 soon.

TREASURER'S REPORT submitted by Bronwen Harris:

Checking account : $10,228.04

Savings Account: $ 1,241.37

Rhizome winner for October is Shirley Hall.

* * *

2025 REBLOOM REPORT

Eagle Ridge Iris Gardens,

Delane H. Langton & Jane Tibbs,

Billings, MT, 59101 – Zone 4b

Hopefully this is a good resource for those in northern zones interested in MORE rebloom. Lots of proven performance, year after year familiar names return to do it over and over in our Montana Zone 4b. We are celebrating our fifth year of continuous iris bloom, from late March reticulata all the way through until freeze up, usually November 1. We have at least one iris in bloom all year long.

Our rebloom always starts with Autumn Jester about June 17th just as the tall bearded iris are finishing. Obviously we think everyone should be growing this one! We have increased stock on most in this report and have them for sale in the rebloom category @ Eagleridgeiris.com. This rebloom report is a treasure trove of information! I’ve noted rebloom along with weather information. It also makes it obvious to me which iris to cross in the pursuit of our goal: early, often cold zone rebloom with newer form and colors. I’ll talk more about that in another article.

I think we have stabilized at 100 rebloomers each year. We had 162 the first year after bringing in 768 rebloomers, regardless of known rebloom zone. We found many would rebloom here but no one had tried and then reported them. Now that the wiki has current information loaded (2022 Cumulative Rebloom Report) and also gets immediately updated from Facebook posts, it is much easier to find cultivars that might work for you. Over the years we have lost many. My theory is that lots of warm zone, think 8&9, are just growing too hard to rebloom, too late for our zone 4b. Our surprise snow storms in October can kill entire clumps that are more concerned with Reblooming than shutting down for our winters.

Two very good iris years in a row, we have ended with 4” extra moisture (typically 14”is normal). Last year we had good snow cover in January and February and a fairly quick start to spring growth. Our greatest iris difficulty is winter spring rot/bortrytis caused by freeze thaw cycles when the iris are winter sleeping. With a pretty quick warm up last spring that was kept at a minimum. August was very dry but fall rains started in September when we received an inch spread out perfectly. You might also be interested to know we don’t supply extra water to encourage rebloom.

I think I’ll end there as I think about which crosses to make and watch for new rebloomers being introduced.

Here are the Rebloomers in approximate order of rebloom, from June to October and often stretching over two months.

Autumn Jester

Lovely Again

Love Continues

Returning  Fancy

Precious Little Pink

Shakin All Over

Rose Kinard 

10-80

Dawn of Fall

Eternal Waltz

Whisper In The Wind

September Frost

Lichen

#22Re12

Autumn Twilight

Forever Royal

#21534R

Autumn Shower

Highway to Heaven

Midsummer Night’s Dream

Glitter Repink

Summer Fantasy

20-312-1

Uriah The Hittite

Lifting

Unbelievable Love

DaCapo

Eternal Summer

Summer Recall

Rosalie Figge

September Sailor

Berzerk

Pinkness

Red Revival

Angelic Wings

September Buttercup

Summer Holidays

Season of Mists

Retro Blue

Queen Dorothy

Fall Empire

Alabaster Lace

Autumn Rain

Over & Over

Again & Again

Violet Returns

As Beauty Does

Jennifer Rebecca

Sugar Blues

Cameo Blush

Sweet Reflection

Summer Waltz

Violet Moon

Crockett Seedling

Feeling Spicy  Tonite

Summer Peach

Mabel Andrews

Corn Dance

Je M'Appelle

Reviens

Echo Location

Innocent Star

Hidden Sky

Eternal Waltz

Echo of Spring

Dual Function

Get Back

Blue Oasis

Bolder Boulder

Rust Never Sleeps

Love Street

Returning Rose

Low Ho Silver

Starring Encore

August Treat

Days Of Summer

Fall Decor

Monster’s Peach

Same Dream Twice

Pinkness

Elron’s Cloak

Pretty Girl

Wizard of Hope

Too Cool For School

Tang Fizz

Refined

Forever Blue

Brite Mite

Mulligan

Short Stitched

Mariposa Wizard

Belvi Cloud

Northward Ho

Rielle

Double Shot

Sky Willow

Glacier King

Ray Jones

Biplane

DHL18-6-2Re

Wedgewood Blue