Showing posts with label Louisiana Iris award. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Louisiana Iris award. Show all posts

Saturday, August 24, 2019

The Mary Swords DeBaillon Medal 2019

The American Iris Society
Announces
The Mary Swords DeBaillon Medal 2019
'DARK DUDE' (Ron Betzer)
'LEMON ZEST' (Kevin Vaughn)
' MICHIGAN BELLE' (Jill Copeland)'

For the first time, three irises tied for the medal:

'Lemon Zest'--image by Louisiana Iris Farm

'Lemon Zest' ( Kevin Vaughn, R. 1998). Seedling F-32-1. LA, 24-28" (61-71 cm), Very early to early midseason bloom. Standards bright lemon yellow aging to creamy lemon with lemon green veins; style arms electric green; Falls bright lemon yellow, intense electric green signal area; heavily ruffled, lightly serrate. 'Heavenly Glow' X 'Vermilion Queen'. Louisiana Iris Farms 2009. Award of Merit 2015.

'Dark Dude'--imagbe by Ron Betzer

'Dark Dude' (Ron Betzer, R. 2010). Seedling 95-28-1. LA, 34" (86 cm), Midseason late bloom. Standards and style arms near black from the red side. Falls the same overlaid velvety black. Gold dagger signal. Lightly ruffled. ''Bout Midnight' x 'Margaret Lee'. Plantation Point 2010. Award of Merit 2015.

'Michigan Belle'--image by Ensata Gardens

'Michigan Belle' ( Jill Copeland, R. 2007). Seedling 5-K. LA, 30" (76 cm), Midseason bloom. Standards rosy violet (RHS 70B); style arms red violet (184B); Falls rosy purple (70A) to rosy violet (78A), back yellow (8A), 1/2" rosy red violet (184B) edge, signal bright yellow (9A) spray pattern. 'Jack Attack' X 'Plantation Belle'. Ensata 2007. Honorable Mention 2012. Award of Merit 2015.

This medal is restricted to Louisiana (LA) irises. It is named in honor of Mary Swords DeBaillon (1888-1940). When Mary DeBaillon realized how varied Louisiana irises were and what lovely garden plants they were, she amassed the largest collection of Louisiana irises in the world. She was tireless in promoting these irises as good garden plants and in encouraging any who would listen to grow them. She gained considerable fame as a naturalist and native plant collector.

The World of Irises blog will be posting once a day all of the medal winners. The entire list of winners can be found at the AIS website, the AIS Encyclopedia and later in the AIS Bulletin, IRISES.







Tuesday, September 3, 2013

2013 Mary Swords Debaillon Medal Winner "James Faith"

By Renee Fraser


The 2013 winner of the award for best Louisiana Iris is "James Faith."

This medal is restricted to Louisiana (LA) irises. It is named in honor of Mary Swords DeBaillon (1888-1940).

Clarence Mahan writes that "Mary DeBaillon amassed the largest collection of Louisiana irises in the world. She was tireless in promoting these irises as good garden plants and in encouraging any who would listen to grow them. She gained considerable fame as a naturalist and native plant collector. She encouraged collection of the indigenous iris species to save them as civilization encroached on the swamps and bayous. A year after her death the iris enthusiasts in Lafayette organized an iris society and named it the Mary Swords DeBaillon Iris Society. This society became the Louisiana Iris Society in 1948."


The highest award an LA could receive from 1948 until 1985 was the Mary Swords DeBaillon Award. During that period, SLI was an independent unit with no affiliation whatsoever with the American Iris Society (AIS). SLI became a Cooperating Organization of AIS in 1986. After that date the AWARD was discontinued and replaced with the Mary Swords DeBallion MEDAL, the highest award exclusively for Louisiana Iris. The MEDAL is a part of the AIS award system. All AIS medalists, including the the Debaillon medalist, are eligible for the Dykes Medal, the highest award presented by AIS.


"James Faith" Photo credit M.D. Faith

Here is the description from the AIS wiki:  'James Faith' (M.D.Faith, R. 2000). Sdlg. S54A. LA, 42" (107 cm), M. S. blue purple, lightly ruffled; style arms blue, reddish cast; F. darker blue purple, large golden yellow signal edged creamy white. 'Bayou Dawn' X unknown. Faith 2002.Debaillon Medal 2013.
M.D. Faith says that "this iris is vigorous in growth and very rewarding in the garden."
"James Faith" clump Photo credit M.D. Faith

To learn more about Louisiana Irises, please visit the Society for Louisiana Irises website.