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I had the privilege of meeting James Thorns in May, 2002, after the Spring Convention in Springfield, MO.  It was a long drive for me, but an unexpected pleasure filled time visiting with James.  Boothill Iris Club in Dodge City, Kansas, held their annual Spring Exhibition that same weekend and James was excited about the awards he had won.  He entered nine Individual Specimens and an Arrangement.

James belongs to many organizations and clubs which include: 

James lives with his brother in Hays,Kansas.
He does all of his own Iris Gardening tasks.  When asked how he became involved with iris, he shared about his hometown in Battle Creek, Iowa.  His father was a pastor and had made an arrangement for James to visit with a local retired physician who needed help tending his iris garden.  This physician did not "cure" a virus, he instead "caused" a virus.  James has had the Iris Virus for many years now.  His love of iris floods his face as he shares his favorite treasures.


Below are two photographs showing part of the Garden.  Everything was well kept, clean and well labeled.  There was a mix of Historic Iris and newer varieties.
Above James shows me the iris Amain (Zurbrigg '85).


James has been busy the last year or two making iris crosses.  Last year he made these crosses:  Chanteuse x Shanko, Happy Birthday x Pink Cameo, Snow Flurry x Satan's Mistress, and Pink Cameo x Great Lakes.  He is waiting to see the results of these crosses:  Green Shadows x Pride of Ireland, Rameses x Trick or Treat, and Thornbird x Twice Thrilling. 

Below are pictures of those iris in bloom during my tour.  Thanks so much for sharing your garden with us James.
Blue Sapphire - Thorns.jpg (52889 bytes)
Blue Surprise, TB
(Austin '57)		 Candy Rock - Thorns.jpg (39588 bytes)
Candy Rock, TB
(Sutton '00)		 Fiction - Thorns.jpg (37703 bytes)
Fiction, TB
(Williamson '81)		 Hat Trick - Thorns.jpg (38272 bytes)
Hat Trick, TB
(Black '84)
Foliage - Yellow - Thorns.jpg (53849 bytes)
Zebra Iris with
yellow varigation		 Foliage - White - Thorns.jpg (43906 bytes)
I. pallida argentea
- white varigation		 Kashmir White - Thorns.jpg (26492 bytes)
Kashmire White, TB
(Fos. 1912)		 Plumed Delight - Thorns.jpg (53790 bytes)
Plumed Delight, TB
(Austin '55)
Sable - Thorns.jpg (40084 bytes)
Sable, TB
(1940)		 Sky Hooks - Thorns.jpg (39183 bytes)
Skyhooks, TB
(Osborn '80)		 Stellar Lights - Thorns.jpg (38469 bytes)
Stellar Lights
(Aitken '86)		 Syrian Rose - AB - Thorns.jpg (40618 bytes)
Syrian Rose, AB
(Wilson '96)

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