The 2020 PVIS Iris show scheduled for April 18 is canceled due to COVID-19 concerns.    There won’t be one in 2021 either because MVIS will be hosting the AIS national convention.  Whether that convention be in 2021 or 2022 has yet to be determined. 

The Pecos Valley Iris Society has an AIS sponsored show every other year in mid-late April.  PVIS shows are well known for their artisan design arrangements.  Our Pegi Naranjo, a widely recognized and renowned artistic designer with numerous awards to her credit has given design educational programs all over NM on how to create an artistic arrangement. In the Design Division the iris must be the dominant flower in the floral design.  Over 100 irises are brought in by members as well as the public to be judged by trained judges of the American Iris Society.  

In the design division, the iris must be the dominant flower in the floral design.  With the wide ranges of colors and sizes of irises, the exhibitors display amazing creativity in their floral design entries.  There design theme vary from year to year like “Party among the Petals”, “Dreams Come True”

There are several reasons for having a show.  First and foremost is that a show educates the public.   There are often educational exhibits and displays of many types of irises.  Shows also provide hybridisers an opportunity to get feedback on their latest hybridizing efforts from judges.  This includes seedlings and established cultivars. 

Note, that a displayed cultivar is not usually judged against other name cultivars but is instead evaluated for its form, color display of the blooms.  The skill of the exhibitor is judged in how well they groomed the stalk for the show and how well the iris was grown.    There are several ribbons awarded with blue ribbon awarded for first place.  Only one blue ribbon is awarded per named cultivar and it has to earn that blue ribbon.  Only when the Best of Sections and Best of Show  are chosen are blue-ribbon awarded cultivar compared to other cultivars. 

Unnamed, unregistered seedlings are judged separately from the named cultivars.  There is minimum grooming since the judges want to count the number of blossoms even if the blossoms are spent.   Judges want to see high bud count,  healty plant, some type of improvement over older varieties and distinctiveness.