Many of you are aware of the clarity and vividness of pictures that are available on the Internet and this includes pictures of iris blooms.  The colors are certainly vibrant and many are color adjusted since digital pictures tend to intensify blue unlike printed pictures which tend to diminish that pigment.  The clarity of the pictures and the ability to enlarge them on your screen make an on-line exploration of these sites very enjoyable.  Most hybridizers provide addresses for their internet postings with their catalogs and you can search for the pictures on-line with the commonly available search engines.

The catalog listings are only part of the story.  There are several websites which promote irises and the American Iris Society in addition to providing some interesting information and great pictures.  If you have a computer with internet access or can utilize one at a library or a friend’s, make sure you check out the following websites:

 

1.      www.irises.org/ -- website for the American Iris Society

 

2.      http://aisregion2.org/ -- website for Region 2 of the AIS

 

3.     http://wiki.irises.org/bin/view -- AIS Iris Encyclopedia

 

4.      http://www.hvids.org/ -- HVIDS website

 

5.     https://sites.google.com/site/ontarioirissociety/ -- ONIS website

 

The AIS Iris Encyclopedia is a place which will eventually have information about every iris cultivar registered with the AIS and species.  Volunteers are inputting the information and posting pictures of the iris that they have taken.

 

In addition to these websites there is a list of websites for each of the sections of the American Iris Society on the AIS website and in each AIS Bulletin.  These sites provide a great way to check out pictures of iris in the groups that the sections promote and to learn more about these iris and the sections.

 

Recently, the AIS and several of its sections have become a presence on Facebook which is a free social networking site that some of you may be familiar with.  The link for AIS is: http://www.facebook.com/theamericanirissociety  and takes you directly to the site but you need to be a Facebook member.  You can search for the other participating sections using their names and the search function on Facebook.  Each group is providing regular pictures of iris and comments which you may find enjoyable to check out, especially this time of year. 

 

 

‘Godsend’

 

Photo recently posted on AIS on Facebook by Bob Pries of one of Monty Byer’s space age creations.  There have been many more posts since this one.

 

As you are experiencing cabin fever waiting for spring, check out some of these on-line resources.  You may be surprised and pleased at what you find!