July 2024

ICE CREAM SOCIAL

SATURDAY, JULY 13, 5:00 PM

At the home and garden of Judy Blunt, 1901 ½ South 4th Street West

NO MEETINGS IN AUGUST AND SEPTEMBER

Come to our annual Ice Cream Social. There will be delicious homemade ice cream and toppings made by Judy Blunt. Guests are welcome. (The Ice Cream Social will not include a potluck.)

Directions:  Proceed to Russell Street. If you are going south on Russell from the bridge, turn right at 4th Street and continue to the 1900 block. If you are going north on Russell, turn left at the stop light on 5th Street, go one block and turn right to proceed one block to 4th Street. Continue to the 1900 block. 

The Missoula Iris Society is on Facebook and Instagram!  Facebook: The Missoula Iris Society.  Instagram: Handle is MissoulaIris. Bronwen Harris, member, is the creator, administrator, and moderator for the sites. Like, share, and follow! Thank you Bronwen! 

ANNUAL RHIZOME SALE: Saturday, July 27, 9:00 A.M. – 1:00 P.M. At the Fort Missoula MIS Fort Garden. There are many opportunities where one can join in and help with the biggest event of our year. Let us know if you have iris to donate and if you can help with prepping all the iris for sale.

SCHEDULE FOR WORK PARTIES FOR DIGGING AND PREPARATION of iris for the MIS Iris Sale. Below are many areas for volunteer opportunities. Please join in on the biggest event for our year. Proceeds from the sale funds our shows, garden tours, meetings, and purchase of iris rhizomes for the fort and the MIS Garden.

Sunday, July 21, at 8:00 A.M. Location: MIS Fort Garden. Under the directions of Judy Blunt, iris clumps will be dug, washed, clipped and labeled. Bring a lawn chair and clippers. Also, iris dug from Eloie Jeter's garden will be processed as well.

Tuesday, July 23, at 8:00 A.M. Location: A garden dig, washing, and trimming, Fred Frey's home, 1760 Frey Lane.

Directions: At Mullan Road and North Reserve Street, head west on Mullan Road away from Reserve Street. Now there are 2 choices: (1) After the Hellgate Trading Post Conoco Station but before starting up the hill to Sunset Memorial Gardens Cemetery, turn left (south) on Homestead Drive. Drive straight back but rather than follow the street when it makes a hard right corner, keep coming straight between the 2 houses on a narrow, single paved and dirt road and follow that road to the house. This is behind the subdivision. (2) Continue on Mullan Road a short distance past Homestead Drive to Frey Lane and take a left. Continue straight back past the intersection with Homestead Drive. Then, between the 2nd and 3rd house on the left, turn left on the paved drive shared with those houses and come back between their yards. Again it is behind the subdivision. (Call 406.370.1696 if you are lost.)

Wednesday, July 24, at 9:00 A.M – 2:00 P. M. and 6:00 P.M – 9:00 P.M. and Thursday, July 25,  at 9:00 A.M. Location: The home of Swede and Betty Ann Gustafson, 3128 Eldora Lane, we will sort and label the iris rhizomes for sale. Please bring lawn chairs and clippers.

Directions: Head west on Hwy 93/Brooks to Wal-Mart. Turn left at the light onto Miller Creek Creek Road. Proceed to the roundabout and veer right onto Lower Miller Creek Road. Travel just past the golf course. Turn left onto Linda Vista Blvd. Proceed 2 blocks to Eldora Lane and turn left. Go another 3 blocks and Gustafsons’ is on the left hand side.

PARKING: Park on Eldora Lane and also on Lori Court. We are on a corner lot bordered by Eldora Lane and Lori Court. If it is full in front of the house on Eldora Lane or you do not want to walk up the driveway, turn left onto Lori Court and park. On Lori Court you will cut across our neighbors’ yard into our yard. We have many deer in the area so be sure to watch your step.

Please bring any iris you plan to donate. They should be cleaned and labeled prior to bringing them to the sorting location. Please get a list of the iris you plan to donate to Judy Blunt, email: JJBlunt@msn.com.

Purchase time for MIS members prior to the sale is Thursday and also Friday until noon at Gustafsons’. Members are allowed to choose 1 rhizome for every variety they bring. Example: 2 varieties, 2 rhizomes. These are free. You may also purchase additional iris. There is no presale before the sale is open to the public on Saturday, July 27.

Friday, July 26, 5:00 P.M.  At the home of Swede and Betty Ann Gustafson, load up iris and tables in pickups for transport Saturday morning to the fort. At 6:00 P.M. we will have a soup supper. Please bring a salad or dessert to share.

Saturday, July 27, 7:30 A.M. - 1:00 P.M. MIS RHIZOME SALE. Location: MIS Garden at Fort Missoula. Set up 7:30 A.M. The sale is from 9:00 A.M. – 1:00 P.M. We need cashiers, members to help customers, members to set up the for sale, and clean up after the sale.

SATURDAY JULY 27, 1:30 P.M. AFTER SALE PARTY at the home of Judy Blunt. (Directions available at the beginning of this newsletter.) Chicken, pizza and drinks are provided by the society.

CONDOLENCES: Our member, Anne McNallen, passed away May 2, 2024. Anne was a valued member of the Missoula Iris Society. Our thoughts are with Anne's family during this time.

 GARDEN TOUR:  Thank you to Rachel Ballard, Jim Sadler, and Fred Frey for opening their gardens to the Missoula Iris Society.  We appreciate all the hard work you put into your gardens. They were absolutely beautiful!

 JUDGES TRAINING: Thank you Jim Sadler for holding a garden judging required class for our judges during the garden tour in June.

 63rd ANNUAL IRIS SHOW was held at the G.W. Marks Exploration Center. This year we partnered with the Missoula Garden Club for a joint iris and peony show. It was a great show! Thank you all who brought your beautiful iris for everyone to see! Thank you Anne Bowman, show chairman! Thank you members for all your help during the show. Thank you MIS accredited judges. Thank you Missoula Garden Club for joining our show. Thank you MIS member Gary Clark for suggesting we have a joint show. The public was very impressed with all our efforts. A special thanks to the garden club for providing treats for exhibitors during preparation of iris for judging and organizing the luncheon after judging.

SHOW EXPENSES:

Conference show room: $125.00

AIS ribbons and entry tags: $32.00

AIS Storefront for seals and note cards: $18.00

Wal-Mart: Plates, cutlery, hole punch and pens $15.84

Albertsons: Fruit and chips for the luncheon: $25.44

LuAnn Holt, garden club member: cost share of brats, beans, potato salad: $25.00

Bills outstanding: Cookie ingredients for 6 dozen cookies and poster materials.

                                                                                                          Total: $291.28

ANNUAL IRIS SHOW RESULTS:

   Best of Show:  Siberian, Purple Flame  Ron Dowell

   Novice Queen of Show: Tall Bearded, Midnight Treat.      Nena C. Williams

   1st Runner-up:  Tall Bearded, Class Ring  Judy Blunt

   Best Tall Bearded:  Mary France    Dave Durnford

   Best Space Age:  Symphony of Light   Cindy Davis

   Best Miniature Tall Bearded:   Frosted Velvet  Delane Langton

   Best Border Bearded: Ruby Wilson   Judy Blunt

   Best Standard Dwarf Bearded:  Auroralita Joan Knutson

   Best Species:  Iris Setosa   Gary Clark

   Best Aril Bred:  Parable   Joan Knutson

   Best Single Blossom Entry:  Fabulous One  Delane Langton

   Best Design:   Jim Sadler                                                                   

TREASURER'S REPORT:   Checking balance:  $688.12

                                             CD has been renewed at the same interest rate.

                                                     Renewal date: September 15.

MIS GARDEN NEWS:

The iris garden at Fort Missoula is being well cared for. Judy Blunt, Swede, Marie Nyquist, Mitch Hall, Dave Ensner, Bronwen Harris, Ron and Donna Dowell have all spent time in the garden this spring. Thank you! It looks great for the 4th of July celebration at the Fort. Many people will see our garden that day.

The iris bloomed in May & June as per normal. The median bed put on a wondrous display in May. However, the iris bloom in June for the tall bearded was down for some reason which we haven't figured out yet. Perhaps the plants are taking a year off.

Judy has purchased soil amendment and continues to work this into the gardens as she goes about weeding and cultivating. We all owe her a debt of gratitude for her dedication to the garden.

The Siberians are showing improved growth following the major renovation last summer.

The Spurias are now in bloom. The four rose arbors are absolutely gorgeous, the peony bloom is stunning, and the day lilies are blooming. Take a drive and enjoy the garden!

DATES TO REMEMBER:

July 13: Ice Cream Social and the June meeting at the home of Judy Blunt, 1901 1/2 So. 4th St. W.

July 27: Rhizome Sale at the Missoula Iris Society Garden

           (Iris digging and prep dates as listed above)

RHIZOME WINNERS:  October: Cindy Davis, November: Al Ledford, December: Carol Addeo, January: Marie Nyquist, February: Jim Sadler, March: Steve Hesla, April: Deb Belden, May: Gary Clark