Las Cruces, NM

[iris lilies]

I am in Las Cruces New Mexico for a week attending the American iris Society convention. It’s not miserably hot. I’m staying in a super cute, well designed casita of about 300 ft.². It has an enclosed front entrance patio, tiny, with four walls but has no roof. It has a back door that has access to a shared patio, shared with two other small properties in the complex.

I didn’t expect to find anything so cute in the new part of town. This casita has vaulted ceiling in the main room which makes it feel more spacious.

The one thing I’m noticing so far about Las Cruces is the ease of getting around. There’s not much traffic. Today I was out at rush-hour and it didn’t take long at all to get from the new part of town to the old part of town which I generally prefer.

I’m working the crowds from Illinois, parts of Missouri, and Kansas to get a couple of judging assignments that I need to complete my accreditation for iris judging. I’m shameless.

[Tybee]

Can you post a few pictures of the Casita? It sounds really neat.

[catherine]

Enjoy the convention! It must be so nice to get out among your tribe!

[iris lilies]

I will post image later. It has limited natural light and it is still nice.

Last night at dinner I sat next to a major hybridizer. Amazing.When his partner called me year about an order, i felt as though I had been called by a rock star and had to contact an iris friend about it.

[JaneV2.0]

I will post image later. It has limited natural light and it is still nice.

Last night at dinner I sat next to a major hybridizer. Amazing.When his partner called me year about an order, i felt as though I had been called by a rock star and had to contact an iris friend about it.

What a fun and productive week! I hope its mitigated your feelings about the SW somewhat; sounds like it might have.

[Tradd]

Sounds like you’re having fun.

[iris lilies]

Well, we have three full days of garden tours and very few Iris are in bloom. What a disappointment! They’ve had a late season this year. I feel bad for all the gardeners who are involved in this national event because they maintained these gardens for 3 full years, postponed because of Covid.

[pinkytoe]

very few Iris are in bloom
When do they normally bloom? Just curious as I have them scattered about my yard from a previous owner and they are just now getting up. Severe drought here though if that matters.

[nswef]

Those poor gardeners. I'm happy you are getting to meet people you like! I do have an iris question...deer. We've never had them eat the iris, but now all the new growth is nipped off. I cannot think of any other critter that might be doing this! They haven't started on the emerging hostas yet. Crocus were the dessert early this month. But the IRIS????

[iris lilies]

When do they normally bloom? Just curious as I have them scattered about my yard from a previous owner and they are just now getting up. Severe drought here though if that matters.

Well, when they bloom depends on species, Iris type, and where you are in the country. Tall bearded iris ( the ones everyone knows) are just finishing in California. They don’t even have buds yet in Minnesota. In St. Louis, prime tall bearded iris bloom time is traditionally Mother’s Day.

Aril Iris and all of their hybrids like very dry weather so that’s why they grow them well in Las Cruces. I managed to get quite a bit of judge’s training in on Arils even tho not much it is in bloom, but it’s still more Arils than I will ever see where I live.

[iris lilies]

Those poor gardeners. I'm happy you are getting to meet people you like! I do have an iris question...deer. We've never had them eat the iris, but now all the new growth is nipped off. I cannot think of any other critter that might be doing this! They haven't started on the emerging hostas yet. Crocus were the dessert early this month. But the IRIS????


Deer generally leave Iris alone but I wouldn’t put it past them to eat new tender leaves.

[KayLR]

The casita sounds charming. Would love to see that.

[iris lilies]

Here is the Casita where I stayed. The first photo is rather unremarkable, but there are three small properties behind these doors. The walkthru path has access to two of them and then I had a private door, the one on the left, into my little unit.

2nd photo is tiny private entry.

Last photo is shared patio area.
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[iris lilies]

By the time Saturday rolled around there were many more iris blooms open. The very last garden we saw was definitely worth it with many clumps of iris full open. Here are a couple of photos.4382

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[dado potato]

I do have an iris question...deer. We've never had them eat the iris, but now all the new growth is nipped off. I cannot think of any other critter that might be doing this! They haven't started on the emerging hostas yet. Crocus were the dessert early this month. But the IRIS????

Deer and bunnies leave my irises alone. I understand that irises give deer nausea. Is it possible that a naive deer ate an iris and then barfed?

[iris lilies]

Deer and bunnies leave my irises alone. I understand that irises give deer nausea. Is it possible that a naive deer ate an iris and then barfed?
My friends who grow 1,000 iris in deer infested land said deer are now eating their Intermediate Bearded iris. It could be just one deer with a taste for that, but those IB’s do have slightly different parentage backgrounds from the tall bearded iris so they might be more palatable to a particular deer.

Today as I was walking around town I saw a small Aril iris in the barrio in a neglected, scraggly part of a yard. If I had not just endured 3 1/2 hours of training on Arils I would not have recognized it as an Aril, I would’ve just dismissed it as a common purple iris.

[nswef]

Haven't found any deer vomit...but there's a huge field where they seem to live...The hostas, barely showing, have been trimmed.

[nswef]

I'm glad some bloomed! I love that the one set goes with the pottery plate.

[iris lilies]

I'm glad some bloomed! I love that the one set goes with the pottery plate.


The orange one is a stunning new seedling that’s not even on the market yet. It won “Best New Seedling” For a young new hybridizer who lives in Las Cruces. The reddish purple one next to it is also his work. We oldsters in the Iris Society are dying out so it’s very exciting to see someone under 40 years old hybridizing good Iris.

[nswef]

IL, It is wonderful when the younger people start taking over the jobs and even passions of the founders. Many organizations don't have that happening, so I guess they will just die out from lack of interest. Glad that's not so with the Iris.

[iris lilies]

IL, It is wonderful when the younger people start taking over the jobs and even passions of the founders. Many organizations don't have that happening, so I guess they will just die out from lack of interest. Glad that's not so with the Iris.
Oh I think the replacement rate is about 1 newbie for every 12 - 15 oldsters.

Someone remarked on the aged population sitting at the Iris convention banquet, and how we have all gotten older. So many of these people got into this Iris hobby 20, 30, 40 years ago. We are not seeing that level of dedication in any other plants societies. As far as garden clubs, well, when the garden clubs continue to meet in the middle of the day at the home of a lady or two, that pretty much limits who can/will come.

[pinkytoe]

I joined a couple of garden groups when I moved here. The largest and oldest one is comprised mostly of older women. The two native plant groups are mostly younger I guess because they are more attuned to sustainability and environmental issues.

[iris lilies]

I joined a couple of garden groups when I moved here. The largest and oldest one is comprised mostly of older women. The two native plant groups are mostly younger I guess because they are more attuned to sustainability and environmental issues.
The only young people I know interested in ornamentals (with 3 exceptions) are all about Natives.

Since I am interested mostly in hybrids, I can’t relate, although I have nothing against those old natives that actually survive in my perennial beds.

I wont get on my soapbox about how boring natives are to me, ‘cause no one really cares about that do they?? But I will tell you that when it comes to drought, go to the genus iris because it is a sweet sweet plant in drought times. In your part of the country the Arils thrive with little to no water. In my area of the country bearded iris are fine put outside in any location and watered only when Mother
nature decides to make it rain.

Modern iris have many more flowers than species and historics, so there’s a lot more there for pollinators to get.

[catherine]

I am part of a FB group "Native Plants of the Northeast" and I am actively trying to use more natives in my garden. I figure it's good for the ecosystem but also limits my decision-making!!! My God, if I didn't have some boundaries I would die of indecision! So I concentrate on Columbine, echinacea, rudbeckia, New England aster, and this year I'm adding some native shrubs like hydrangea and possibly elderberry or serviceberry.

Our native iris is Blue Flag, and I was thinking of planting some down by the lakeshore because from what I understand, they tolerate wet conditions. Is that true, IL?

[JaneV2.0]

Is there an indigenous plant/wildflower group? That would be my preference. But I'm not much of a joiner.

[pinkytoe]

The Colorado Native Plant Society has a lot of informational webinars and great field trips into the prairies and mountains. The thing about hybrids is that I can't trust that their seeds will be true. And I am a seed starting nut - 200+ this year of natives and perennials. Wild Seed Project has good info for the northeast.

[iris lilies]

I am part of a FB group "Native Plants of the Northeast" and I am actively trying to use more natives in my garden. I figure it's good for the ecosystem but also limits my decision-making!!! My God, if I didn't have some boundaries I would die of indecision! So I concentrate on Columbine, echinacea, rudbeckia, New England aster, and this year I'm adding some native shrubs like hydrangea and possibly elderberry or serviceberry.

Our native iris is Blue Flag, and I was thinking of planting some down by the lakeshore because from what I understand, they tolerate wet conditions. Is that true, IL?


“Blue Flag” has no meaning to me, it is what everyone’s grandma calls plants in the genus Iris.

If you are talking about a bearded variety of Iris, no, they do not want to be wet. Do not drown them! They will rot.


If you are talking about a Louisiana Iris, yes they like to be wet. If you are talking about a Japanese Iris, and I would think your winter conditions are too harsh for Japanese Iris, they love being wet as well. If you are talking about spuria Iris well, they kind of like some wetness. Siberians— I’m not sure how much water they will tolerate.

[iris lilies]

The Colorado Native Plant Society has a lot of informational webinars and great field trips into the prairies and mountains. The thing about hybrids is that I can't trust that their seeds will be true. And I am a seed starting nut - 200+ this year of natives and perennials. Wild Seed Project has good info for the northeast.
Their seeds will NOT be true.

But with Lily and iris, they clone themselves so fast when they’re happy there is no need for dealing with seeds. Only the hybridizes and serious Iris folks grow new varieties from seed.

[catherine]

“Blue Flag” has no meaning to me, it is what everyone’s grandma calls plants in the genus Iris.

If you are talking about a bearded variety of Iris, no, they do not want to be wet. Do not drown them! They will rot.


If you are talking about a Louisiana Iris, yes they like to be wet. If you are talking about a Japanese Iris, and I would think your winter conditions are too harsh for Japanese Iris, they love being wet as well. If you are talking about spuria Iris well, they kind of like some wetness. Siberians— I’m not sure how much water they will tolerate.

This is what I'm talking about:

https://plants.gardeners.com/12100010/Plant/2667/Blue_Flag_Iris

[iris lilies]

This is what I'm talking about:

https://plants.gardeners.com/12100010/Plant/2667/Blue_Flag_Iris

ah! Ok, it is Iris versicolor.

I do not grow that species, but judging by the fact that it gets to be 4 feet tall, and it likes water, its growing conditions sound similar to Louisiana irises which like boggy conditions where the water goes in and then dries out and then goes in again and then dries out.

Marti Schaeffer and Jan Sacks hybridize versicolor iris, so if your species one does well you might want to branch out and try more species crosses that are still species:


http://www.jpwflowers.com/introirisversicolor.html

[gimmethesimplelife]

I have debated Las Cruces for years - and I'd feel safer there as NM Governor Grisham set the gold standard in the US by signing a bill ending qualified immunity. So there's that and it's very enticing....but SO has family in Nogales MX and I may be able to transfer to a job in Nogales, AZ. Rob

[catherine]

ah! Ok, it is Iris versicolor.

I do not grow that species, but judging by the fact that it gets to be 4 feet tall, and it likes water, its growing conditions sound similar to Louisiana irises which like boggy conditions where the water goes in and then dries out and then goes in again and then dries out.

Marti Schaeffer and Jan Sacks hybridize versicolor iris, so if your species one does well you might want to branch out and try more species crosses that are still species:


http://www.jpwflowers.com/introirisversicolor.html

Thank you! I'll look into those hybrids--I think they would look really beautiful down by lakeshore. I might try Karl Foerster grass and buttonbush. I think they would go well together!

[gimmethesimplelife]

I've always liked Las Cruces - and now that qualified immunity no longer exists in New Mexico, it's even more attractive. Still - it's looking more like an eventual transfer to Nogales, AZ to end my working years outside of the overheated urban sprawl I live in. What do you make of Las Cruces as of this visit?

Rob

[iris lilies]

I've always liked Las Cruces - and now that qualified immunity no longer exists in New Mexico, it's even more attractive. Still - it's looking more like an eventual transfer to Nogales, AZ to end my working years outside of the overheated urban sprawl I live in. What do you make of Las Cruces as of this visit?

Rob

Very dusty, dirty, and desert-y. But I really liked the fact that there doesn’t seem to be much traffic on the main arterial roads in town. It was pretty amazing actually. Every time I wanted to make a left turn I could do it. It takes 8 to 10 minutes to get across town. The southwestern architecture is charming. There’s lots of interesting historical things about that part of New Mexico.

[littlebittybobby]

Okay---Tell you what. Nothing beats a trip to IWah, to drive-N-Eat! Nope. In fact, now they got a chain o' rest-ronts in Iwah called: The Machine Shed, whereby you could plan your trip around driving from one 'chine shed to the next, eating your way across IWah! They specialize in pork n eggs. Yup. But, here's a map, not of 'chine sheds, but several other indy rest-o-rants you can drive to, just for Fun!54495453