Elected Officers:
President: Darrin Lett
Vice President: Heather Harroun
Past President: Nancy Rash
Secretary: Cari Rusnak
Treasurer: Jackie Westhoff

Committee Chairs and Members:
Program Chair: 2023 CVIDS Board and committee Chairs, but input from membership always welcomed
Newsletter Editor: Shelly Lett
Nominating Committee: Darrin Lett, Nancy Rash
Webmaster: Jonathan Poulton
Photographers: Lyle Moen, Keith Riewerts
Auctioneer: Darrin Lett
Hospitality Chair: Sam McCord
Art of Gardening CVIDS Welcome Booth: Valerie Linder, Rachel Moeller, Nancy Carlisle
Des Moines Co. Master Gardeners Meeting Booth: Tom & Linda Jones, Nancy Carlisle
Spring Plant Sale Chairs: Val Linder, Deb Bentley
Club Plant Chairs (ordering): Sue Kramer (daylilies), Diann Pavelka (iris)
Club Plant Distribution/Live Auction Chair: Karmin Mullins (food chair), Darrin Lett (auctioneer)
August Club Plant Return/Silent & Live Auction Chairs & Committee Members:
Diane Derganz (Chair), Sara Hankemeier, Pete & Pat Connolly, Judy & Rex Raub, Dick Palmer
Fall Plant Sale Chair: Valerie Linder
Hybridizers’ Roundup: Heather Harroun, Lyn Hafner
Fall Banquet Chairs: Valerie Linder, Karmin Mullins, Sam McCord
Banquet Speaker Chair: Nancy Carlisle
Betty Miller Photo Contest Chairs: Rachel Moeller, Joy Adams

Region One Summer Meeting:
Co-Chairs: Nancy Carlisle, Keith Riewerts

Tour Gardens:
Darrin & Shelly Lett
Heather & Jim Harroun
Keith & Sally Riewerts
Colleen & John Hansen

Open Gardens:
Frank & Mary Ancell
Jane & Bob Bancks
Deb & Brian Bentley
William Blair & Virginia Houser
Cornell College (Mount Vernon)
Barbara McCreight
Tom & Linda Jones
Dave & Sue Kramer
Gary Oster
Joyce & Larre Petersen
Bruce & Becky Whittaker

Members who Volunteered and/or Provided Donations at the Meeting:

I realize that constructing these lists could lead to the possibility that I may inadvertently fail to acknowledge everyone's contributions to the club this year. If you find that your name has been omitted, please email me (jonathan-poulton@uiowa.edu), and I'll rectify that error. Thank you!

Just a Heads-Up!
Phil Fass (CIDS) is alerting all Region One daylily enthusiasts that Pollen Dabbers in 2024 will be held on March 15-16. The keynote speaker will be Sandy Holmes. Jonathan will alert you to when Phil is sending out the registration forms.

Take a Moment to Enjoy the.......
........... November-December 2023 edition of the CVIDS Newsletter! Thank you, Shelly, for putting it together during this hectic time of the year.

2023 Betty Miller Photo Contest Winners
Many congratulations to the winners! Links to the award-winning images will be posted as soon as they become available.

Click here for a selection of photos taken by Lyle Moen at last Saturday's Fall Banquet! Thank you, Lyle! To access the unapproved minutes from that meeting, click here. Thank you again, Cari! The list of winners in the 2023 Betty Miller Photo Contest will be posted tomorrow.

The Fall Banquet Concludes our Club Year
The grand finale for 2023 was our Annual Fall Banquet held on November 11 at the Radisson Hotel & Conference Center in Coralville and organized by Valerie Linder and Karmin Mullins (Banquet Chairpersons), Rachel Moeller (Banquet Assistant Co-Chair), and Sam McCord (Hospitality Chair). On our behalf, Nancy Carlisle extended an invitation to Sandy Holmes of Riverbend Daylily Gardens to be our guest speaker at the Banquet, and Sandy agreed, saying that she felt very honored to be asked. Information about Sandy and her daylily creations is provided below:

'Sandy started as a back yard hybridizer in 1995. In 2003, she got serious about her daylily obsession when she and her husband Mike moved Riverbend Daylily Gardens to its current location just outside of Xenia, OH. Sandy had her first introductions in 2005. She credits Steve Moldovan as a significant influence on her hybridizing. Her focus is on large tetraploid unusual forms but doesn’t let that prevent her working on other looks. Currently she is focusing on large unusual forms with interesting eyes. Mike’s current interest is striped daylilies, but he was very active in early teeth daylilies.

Sandy became a Garden Judge in 2007 and a Garden Judge Instructor in 2011. She has coordinated the Shirley Farmer Midwest Hybridizer’s meeting since 2004 and has served in several volunteer positions with the ADS. Sandy was Region 2 President from 2016 thru 2020 and received the Region 2 Service Award in 2021.

Sandy was honored when her daylily 'Walt Lowry' (named for her father) won the Ned Roberts Spider/Unusual Form award in 2016 and even more excited when it won an Award of Merit. In 2017, 'Tidewater Elf' won the President's Cup followed by the Award of Merit in 2020. Little did she dream that she would have the thrill of a life time when her 'I Lava You' won the Stout Silver Medal in 2020.'

	'I Lava You' 2020 Stout Silver Medal

2023 Sandy Holmes Introductions

Becky Duffy	For All The Caregivers	Gentleman Jerry
Just For Kevin	Lizard Thief	Michigan Farm Girls
The Dean	The Last Guardian	Tidewater Twist

CVIDS October Newsletter Now Available, thanks to Shelly Lett

October 2023 Club Meeting
We met on October 14th at the Washington Public Library (115 W. Washington Street, Washington) for our Annual Hybridizers' Roundup. 22 members were meeting in person and 5 members via Zoom. The potluck started at noon, followed by the meeting at 1 PM. The meeting minutes were recorded by acting secretary Nancy Rash. Here are a few photos taken through the lenses of Lyle Moen and Keith Riewerts:

Barb Papenhausen	Heather Harroun
Barb Papenhausen's Seedlings at Heather Harroun's Garden	Jackie Westhoff
Shelly Lett	Jonathan Poulton

Update on Gary Oster and Nancy Rash
Nancy Carlisle has sent me an update today (October 13) about Gary Oster. He is still at Cedar Manor in Tipton and probably will stay there for another week. Nancy found him in good spirits when she visited him yesterday. From Darrin, I have learned that Nancy Rash has undergone hip surgery. All went well, and she is home recovering. What some proof? Take a look at the above photos of Nancy recording minutes at the October meeting! All the best to you, Gary and Nancy! 

August Meeting Minutes and September Newsletter Now Available

Our thanks go to Secretary Cari Rusnak and Newsletter Editor Shelly Lett.

Looking for Two Specific Daylily Cultivars
Nancy Rash recently received an inquiry from a member of the Chicago Daylily Society requesting help to locate two specific daylily cultivars. They are 'Joanna’s Summer Bonnet' (Hill-K., 2002) and 'Amanda's Intrigue' (Salter, 2000). If you have either of these and would be willing to share, please contact Nancy, who has the pertinent contact information. Thank you!

Former CVIDS President Passes Away
Elma 'Kay' Hill, who served as CVIDS President in 2006-07, passed away on April 1, 2023, at UnityPoint Hospital-Allen Memorial of Waterloo. She was 82. A memorial service was held on April 13 at First Baptist Church in Muscatine. Burial was to take place in Swank Cemetery at a later date. Kay's obituary may be accessed here.

Kay Hill (photo courtesy of Ralph J. Wittich-Riley-Freers Funeral Home)

2023 Fall Sale and Auction Photos from Lyle Moen & Peggy Rash-Daniels

	Thank you so much, Lyle and Peggy!

CVIDS Newsletter - August 2023
Thank you, Shelly, for publishing the August edition of the CVIDS Newsletter! This is a "must-read edition", with many reflections from Nancy Carlisle, Keith Riewerts and Barbara McCreight about our recent Summer Regional meeting. Oh yes, and photos too!

Request for Photos
I am looking for more photos to document the 2023 Summer Meeting Open Gardens. If you would like to submit photos for the website, please contact Jonathan (jonathan-poulton@uiowa.edu). Thank you very much!

"The world is your oyster. It's up to you find the pearls."
You may recognize that well-known quote from Chris Gardner's "The Pursuit of Happyness". Let me assure you that those attending the 2023 ADS Region One Summer Meeting last weekend in Muscatine certainly discovered and enjoyed countless pearls. Organized by co-chairs Nancy Carlisle and Keith Riewerts and assisted by registrar Ellen Jones, it was an excellent event enjoyed by daylily lovers from 12 states. On Saturday, attendees toured four beautiful Tour gardens and were offered the chance to visit twelve Open Gardens before or after the meeting. Our featured speakers Kathleen Nordstrom and Mike Grossmann (Northern Lights Daylilies) gave splendid presentations on their latest creations and also kindly donated two of their 2023 introductions as registration plants, namely Pearl City Penguin and Pearl City Python. We were honored that ADS President Scott Elliott and Vice President Rhonda Veroeven attended the meeting and hosted an open forum on Saturday evening. Many pearls were up for grabs during the Silent and Live Auctions with club president Darrin Lett displaying his talent as auctioneer during the latter. Nancy Rash, Lyle Moen, Keith Riewerts, Sherry Moffit and I captured lots of happy memories as can be seen from our photos below. Our thanks should go not only to those mentioned by name above but also to the many CVIDS volunteers who opened up their gardens to visitors or contributed time and energy into making this annual meeting a resounding success. We are also very grateful to Jason Halonen for getting the word out about our meeting via AHS Region One Facebook. Thank you so much!

Passing of Founder Member Donna Helgens
I am sorry to learn from Joy Adams that CVIDS co-founder member Donna Helgens passed away on Friday, June 30, at the Veterans Memorial Hospital in Waukon, Iowa, at age 93. Funeral services will be held at 10:30 AM on Friday, July 7, at SS Peter and Paul Lutheran Church, rural Monticello, with interment at the Wayne Zion Cemetery.

Friends may call from 4 until 7 on Thursday at the Goettsch Funeral Home, Monticello. Pastor Holly Knouse will officiate at the services. By visiting Goettschonline.com, you may share your thoughts, memories and condolences with Donna’s family and sign the online guest book.

A Special Edition to the CVIDS Newsletter
Nancy Rash and Lyle Moen recently returned from Nashville, where they attended the ADS 2023 National Convention ("Grand Ole Daylilies"). To give our club members an insight into the meeting, they have kindly created a special edition to the CVIDS Newsletter. Thank you, Nancy and Lyle!

And the Winner of the ADS 2023 Region One Service Award is.....
Phil Fass, president of the Central Iowa Daylily Society, in recognition of his many contributions over the past 20-plus years to ADS (AHS) Region One and daylily diversity. Hearty congratulations, Phil! For more information, please access the blog post written by Kathy Larson, Nancy Carlisle and Mary Baker.

Various bits of information, for which I have been given permission to share with you!
Sue and Dave Kramer will celebrate their 50 years of marriage on June 23.  They have two daughters and four grandsons.  Sue is requesting cards be sent to their home address.

Bruce and Becky Whitaker's gardens are on tour for the Bentonsport Heritage Day on June 24.  Open from 1-5 PM. Members are welcome.  Please note that there is a $10 fee. Van Buren County is also hosting  a county Barn Tour on June 24-25.

Lyn Hoversten-Hafner's Garden will be on Project Green's Iowa City Tour on July 8-9. There is no charge to attend. Maps will be available at the Ashton House and business support links the week before. Maps are also available during the event at Ashton House, 820 Park Road, Iowa City.

Please consult your Members' Contact Information list for the home addresses of these members. If you don't have that list available, please contact Nancy Carlisle.

Recommendation to Visit the Region One Facebook Group
Our congratulations and many thanks should go to Jason Halonen, administrator of the AHS Region One Facebook group, who is doing an excellent job of getting the word out about our Regional Summer Meeting on July 14-16 in Muscatine. I recommend that you take a look at his recent posts beginning with his May 13 post, in which he listed ten reasons why you should attend that meeting. On May 20, May 26 and June 6, he then provided descriptions and photos of in-person auction plants. On June 4 and June 15, his focus was on our featured speakers Mike Grossmann and Kathleen Nordstrom (Northern Lights Daylilies) and their seedlings.

June 2023 CVIDS Meeting
Our June club meeting took place on Saturday, June 10, in the Marion Public Library. A potluck at noon was followed at 1 PM by a planning and informational meeting to answer questions, check on progress, and verify committee assignments for the upcoming July 14-16 Region One meeting being held in Muscatine. I understand that the meeting went well Our secretary Cari has provided minutes. Thank you, Cari! In the meantime, thanks to Nancy Carlisle, a Zoom recording is available. Please check your June 13 e-mails for a message from her that contains a link and password for this recording.

May 2023 CVIDS Newsletter
Thank you, Shelly, for publishing the May 2023 CVIDS Newsletter.

Annual Club Plant Distribution
The Club Plant Distribution took place at Muscatine County Fairgrounds Garden building in West Liberty, on May 20. After the daylily part of the morning concluded, there was an auction of Japanese and Siberian Iris kindly selected by Diann. Thank you, Sue Kramer and Diann, for your fine work behind the scenes.

Val Moeller's Report from Muscatine Spring Plant and Bake Sale on May 6th
Cheers to all those members that gave - iris, daylily, and outdoor plants - worked, and gave positive words for this year's Spring Plant Sale - Sam McCord, Nancy Carlisle, Keith Riewerts, Heather Harroun, Jackie Westhoff, Bob and Barb Papenhausen, Bev Witmer, Diane Derganz, Sara Derganz (guest) Dave and Sue Kramer, Lyn Hafner, Gretchen Little, Mary and Frank Ancell, Scott Feddern, Cari Rushak and family, Nancy Rash, and Rachel Moeller - and made it A HUGE success! A Heartfelt Thank You! Val.  The webmaster thanks Keith for the following photos.

CVIDS April 2023 Newsletter
Many thanks, Shelly, for the April Newsletter!

Several Post-Meeting Updates from Nancy Carlisle
1) I had great difficulty with sound feedback at the April Meeting.  Most could not hear over the buzz, actually a howl, and no sound came out in the recording. 

2) Tom and Linda Jones' Burlington farm will be featured in Our Iowa magazine in the June-July issue.  Look for it on the newsstands! Congratulations to Tom and Linda!

3) The May 6th Plant Sale will be held in the Large Pavilion at Muscatine Discovery Park. The sale starts at 9 AM. Come early with your plants. No woody perennials like lilacs, as we don't have a license to sell.

4) The bylaw amendment passed as previously presented. The revised bylaws have now been posted.

5) The May 20th Club Plant distribution will take place at West Liberty, Muscatine County Fairgrounds Garden building. First ball for names drops at 9:30 AM. Set-up starting at 8:30AM, breakfast at 9 AM. Many hands make it all go faster. Sue may keep back a few of the gorgeous plants, because she ordered some really great ones, and the sellers are so generous. 

6) Gretchen Little thanked everyone for the remembrances of her mother, Marilyn Little. Marilyn, Bob and Gretchen were charter members.  Val Moeller mentioned how she had visited with Marilyn in February and the stories that Marilyn had about many members. Gretchen will be working on her mother's garden to return it to its glory days.  If able, perhaps we can work on it while in town that day, May 20th?

7) Nancy C. and Keith reported on progress for the Regional.  View previous email report from Nancy Carlisle (see "Lots of Progress..." post below). Questions were addressed regarding plants.

8) A wonderful potluck was enjoyed by all.

Take a Moment from Dodging the Storms.......
...to read the March edition of the CVIDS Newsletter created by Shelly Lett. Judging by tonight's weather forecast, I recommend that you read it in your basement or equivalent safe spot in your house. Take great care of yourselves! Enjoy the Newsletter! Thank you, Shelly!

April 8th CVIDS Club Meeting
Our April 8th club meeting was held at the Bettendorf Public Library (2950 Learning Campus Drive, Bettendorf) starting with a potluck at noon. The business meeting began at 1 PM and included: (1) slides of cultivars for the upcoming May Club Plant Distribution, and (2) the membership vote on the proposed changes of the Bylaws. PowerPoint presentations of the Plant Distribution daylily and iris cultivars are now available. We will as soon as possible be posting the meeting minutes. Twenty-three members attended the meeting in person with another 5-6 participating via Zoom. Thankfully, we received the necessary quorum (n = 25) to make changes to the Bylaws. The proposed changes were approved, and the Bylaws have been revised accordingly. Here are the minutes for the April meeting. Thank you, Cari!

Club Dues are Due!
If you have not already paid your 2023 club dues, they must be paid by April 1 for your name to remain on our membership list! Please fill out the application form on our website and send your dues to our new Treasurer Jackie Westhoff at the address indicated on the form. The cost? $10 per member. What a great deal! And thank you, Jackie, for volunteering to be Treasurer!

Loss of CVIDS Founder Member in March
We were saddened to learn from club member Gretchen Little that her mother Marilyn passed away on March 15 at the age of 92. Marilyn and her late husband Bob were founder members of CVIDS. We extend our condolences to Gretchen for her loss. Marilyn's obituary can be accessed here. Visitation will be held at 2-4 PM on Sunday, March 19, at the Henderson-Barker Funeral Home in West Liberty. Her funeral service will take place at 10:00 AM on Monday, March 20, at the funeral home. She will be buried in the Oak Ridge Cemetery. Please click here for additional information including maps.

Nancy noted that "we learned about iris with horns – violet horns on the tall bearded Angler Fish iris. Zombie Zoo was a personal favorite.  I had no idea that iris had horns and spoons!  The Space Age Irises have horns that extend from the end of the beard. The horn is a spear like appendage that emerges from the fall at the end of the beard. The tip of the horn is sometimes flat which is referred to as a spoon or may be split and laced making a flounce which looks like little petals."  Anybody who would like to view this presentation can reach it here. Meeting minutes were recorded by club secretary Cari Rusnak. Thank you, Cari! Our next club meeting will take place on Saturday, April 8, in Bettendorf.

It's March 1st, the Unofficial Meteorological Beginning of Spring!
Not only a fine time to start your spring cleaning (Aaaagh!) but also an excellent moment to register for the ADS Region One Summer Meeting that we are hosting in Muscatine on July 14-16! Perhaps you might like to volunteer in some capacity at this event too? To find more information, just click here.

Set Aside Your Snow Shovels for a While.......
.........and relax with a cup of coffee and read the February 2023 edition of the CVIDS Newsletter! Thank you, Shelly, for publishing it for us!

CVIDS Fall Banquet to be held at the Radisson, Coralville
This past weekend, members were asked to vote on two potential locations for our 2023 Fall Banquet, the Radisson Hotel & Conference Center (Coralville) and the Rosedale Park Event Center (Cedar Rapids). Our thanks go to Karmin Mullins and Val and Rachel Moeller for gathering information assisting us to reach a decision. The Radisson was the clear winner, garnering 88% of the votes. The Banquet will be held there on Saturday, November 11, at 11 AM - 3 PM. The associated Betty Miller Photo Contest will be organized by Joy Adams and Rachel Moeller. The featured speaker will be announced mid-year.

February 11 CVIDS Business Meeting via Zoom
Led by President Darrin Lett, our February club meeting took place via Zoom on Saturday, February 11. Thank you, Nancy, for setting up the Zoom link. There was much to discuss. Please click here for the meeting agenda. For those members unable to attend the meeting, you can reach the recording by clicking here and using the passcode: SDr4^3H0. The meeting minutes can be accessed here. Thank you, Nancy Rash, for taking the minutes!

American Iris Society Webinar
Thanks to Heather Harroun, our club gained access to the 40-minute AIS Webinar #3 PowerPoint presentation by Bonnie Nichols on "Novelty Irises - Flatties and Broken Color". You may access this video here. Enjoy!

Muscatine Community College "Art of Gardening" Seminar
On Saturday, March 18, Muscatine Community College (152 Colorado Street, Muscatine, IA) will be offering "Art of Gardening" seminars from 7:30 AM until 3 PM. Two of our club members, Keith Riewerts and Wanda Lunn, will be speaking! CVIDS members will have the opportunity to man an informational table during this time period. Current CVIDS pamphlets, new membership application forms, and a piece of wrapped candy will be offered to attendees (anyone stopping to talk/obtain information on CVIDS). A door prize will be given away (see photo below). We are looking for volunteers to help man the table. If you are interested, please contact Val Moeller ASAP. Thank you!

Help Requested at an Iris Dig - Event Now Postponed until August 12
You may recall that your assistance was being requested to dig, divide and donate irises on Saturday, April 22 (with a rain date of April 29). This event has now been postponed until August 12. It will take place at 9-11 AM at 1713 D Ave., Ripley's Trailer Park, Muscatine.

CVIDS January 2023 Meeting
The first meeting of the year took place via Zoom on Saturday, January 14, with President Darrin Lett at the helm. Thirty-one members attended the meeting. The minutes can be accessed here. One clear outcome of the meeting is that we are urgently looking for volunteers to serve as chairpersons. Here is the present status:

• Program Chair (open)
  
  
• May: Spring Public Plant Sale (Val Moeller)
  
  
• May: Club Plant Distribution (Sue Kramer & Diann Pavelka)
  
  
• July: Garden Tour that features club members’ gardens (this is covered as CVIDS is hosting Region 1 in Muscatine)
  
  
• August: Fall Public Plant Sale (Val Moeller)
  
  
• August: Member-only Silent & Live Auctions (Diane Derganz)
  
  
• October: Hybridizers’ Roundup (Heather Harroun & Lyn Hafner helping)
  
  
• November: Fall Banquet (open at this time) Karmin Mullins, Val Moeller and Rachel Moeller checking on different places for this years banquet.
  
  
• November: The annual Betty Miller Photo Contest, usually held at the Fall Banquet (open)
  
  
• CVIDS Newsletter (open)
  
  
• Webmaster (Jonathan Poulton & Mary Jo)
  
  
• Membership Chair (VP Heather Harroun?)
  
  
• Hospitality Chair (Sam McCord?)

If you would be interested in volunteering for any of the open chair positions, please contact Darrin (563-357-2214) as soon as possible. Many thanks to those who have already volunteered for 2023 and beyond!

January 2023 Board Meeting
Minutes of the January 11 Board Meeting with ten members in attendance via Zoom may be accessed here.

David Hansen Passes Away
I am sorry to relay the sad news to you that David Hansen, a longtime member and former president of the Nebraska Daylily Society, passed away on January 2, 2023, at the age of 86. His obituary can be found here. Susie and I met David and his wife of 65 years Val Jean at Region One Summer Meetings and were thrilled to visit them at their home in Papillion. He was a fine gentleman and so generous with his daylily seeds and mature plants. We shall think of him with fondness when his toothy-edged seedlings bloom again in upcoming years. We extend our condolences to Val Jean and family on behalf of CVIDS.

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