ACKERMAN ESSAY CONTEST WINNERS

TOPIC:  “How My Interest In Irises Can Help Me”

by Karinna (K.C.) Copeland  (12 years old and under)

My interest in iris helps me learn how to take care of plants.  I have learned how to weed and water the plants.  I have learned how to plant the iris plants.  I have watched my grandma grow her seeds. 

My interest in iris teaches me how to show plants and how to display them.  When you take iris to shows you always have to wipe the fingerprints off the stems.  At the shows I go to and enter my iris we always have to put our irises in vases with styrofoam wedges to hold the stems.  The flowers that look the best get ribbons.  (I’ve gotten a lot of ribbons).

Working with iris is fun because I get to work with my grandma and grandpa.  I have a garden at their house with two of my brothers.  We each have our own gardens and have to weed them.  When my grandma and grandpa separate their iris we get to choose some and plant them in our gardens.

by Kyle Pedersen  (13 years old and up)

Irises have helped me in four different areas of my life.  Irises have helped me to develop relationships with my family and friends.  Irises have helped me gain greater plant knowledge.  I have also received a source of income through iris, and irises have given me the opportunity to improve my leadership skills.

Irises have helped me to develop relationships.  My mother and sister are both deeply involved in various iris projects.  A few of the any things I get to do with them are attend meetings, prepare for shows, and go on tours.  I am able to do things with other adults and friends.  One of my good friends, Grace Farley, shares my interest in irises.  I have done iris related community service projects with her and my family.  My mom and I shared the iris arrangements after a show with an old gardener whose favorite flower was iris.

Through my work with iris I have been able to gain greater plant knowledge.  I have learned a lot about plant development and plant diseases.  Irises are best divided and planted in late July and early August.  Spacing is very important for iris.  Iris should be planted in clumps with plenty of room for increase.  Irises grow best in full sun.  One of the diseases of iris in our area is iris bore.  It is important to know how to treat iris to avoid weed and disease problems.

I have found that irises can provide income.  I am able to use irises as a source of income by helping my mother in her gardening business, Gardens by Jean.  Another way that I have found I can use irises to benefit myself and others is through leadership and community service.  I am currently starting a 4-H club at a children’s home.  This provides a good opportunity for me to share my knowledge of iris, use my leadership skills, and help others become leaders.  One of the projects that the club will do involves growing iris.  This will not only improve the look of the children’s home but also provides an excellent learning opportunity for the youth.

Irises have made a large impact in my life.  Without irises I may not have developed some of the good relationships that I have with my family and friends.  Without my knowledge of iris, I may not have had the financial opportunity.  Through my involvement at the children’s home, the youth there will have a broader background in horticulture, and the home will have an improved landscape.