The reblooming bearded iris trial display beds at Maymont Park and J. Sargeant Reynolds Community College were the true stars of the AIS Region 4 Fall Meeting for 2013. Unlike the annual Spring Meetings, rebloomers have no equal in the autumn garden. Despite being replanted in March, the Maymont planting had bloom to see. Lunar Whitewash (Innerst, 2003, a nicely ruffled pure white, easily led the waay there.
The JSRCC display beds exceeded all reasonable expectations. For the first time in years, iris sociaiety members encountered "spring bloom in the fall." Rosalie Figge (McKnew, 1993), I Do (Zurbrigg, 1974), My Friend Jonathan (B. Miller, 1996), Pink Attraction (E. Hall, 1988) and Echo Location (Wilkerson, 2007) had easily ten or more bloomstalks in each clump. The intentional grouping of the "best" rebloomers in al bearded clases for Central Virginia can indeed succeed and make a bold statement. It is hoped future performance at both locations will insspire the general public to use reblooming bearded irises in their suburban garden lineups.
