The City of Iris shows creativity during annual flower show

When Naomi Sanderson, of Hillsboro, was a little girl, her mother put her in the middle of a patch of irises and took a picture.

'Ever since then I have just loved irises,” Sanderson said as she entered her arrangement of iris' into the Mt. Pleasant Women's Club Annual Iris and Flower Show on Saturday, May 18, at McMillan Park under the Wright Family Pavilion.

Despite thunderstorms Saturday morning, Sanderson competed against over 40 other participants who entered iris arrangements or other flowers into show.

Sanderson heard about the Iris and Flower Show on the radio earlier in the week and thought, 'Why not?”

Sanderson took to her garden and picked out the perfect iris.

'The storm destroyed the one I was going to bring,” Sanderson said, disappointed. 'Another one bloomed, and I thought OK.”

Sanderson said the best part of her irises is they bloom in the spring and the fall. Her house is surrounded by over 100 specimen of iris.

'It just makes the whole house smell good,” Sanderson said. 'When they are in bloom, they are just gorgeous. I'm proud of them. They are my specialty.”

Irises are judged in the categories of grand and glorious; magnificent mix; salute to America; black tie; monochromatic; mother's kitchen cupboard; country collage; and tiny treasures.

Sheila Allender, co-president of the Women's Club, was pleased with the attendance for the 67th annual iris show Saturday despite thunderstorms.

The Annual Iris and Flower Show was not held in 2018 because spring was late and the flowers were not in bloom, Allender said. In 2017, there were 86 floral arrangements submitted.

'It's been going on for a lot of years. A long-standing Women's Club event. I enjoy the creativity that comes out here,” Allender said.

The iris show is always open to other floral entries because iris season is very weather dependent, Allender said.

Janet Roederer, who has assisted with the Iris Show for over 30 years, was also surprised by the number of entries because she thought it had been too cold a spring for iris' to come up.

'There used to be a lot more iris' around, but it's a tedious plant,” Roederer said.

Carol Rose submitted an entry for the second year. She was working at the Mt. Pleasant Farmer's Market Saturday morning when she saw people begin to bring iris' to the show, so she ran home, clipped an iris from her yard, and placed it in a vase.

'Irises, they tend to take care of themselves,” Rose said. 'The Iris Show is part of the iris city. I'd like the tradition to be able to continue.

Janet Young has been entering an arrangement of iris' for 15 years. While this year hasn't been a good one for plants, Young said, 'I just let the Lord take over. I can't do a thing about it.”