Photography Awards
 
In 2010, the AHS Board of Directors established photography awards in three additional categories. These awards will be presented for the first time at the 2011 AHS Convention. Please note that as of 2010, the Board has discontinued the A.D. Roquemore Memorial Award for best photograph of a daylily clump.
 
                     
AHS ARTISTIC GARDEN IMAGE AWARD
 
Although any submitted images in this category should include all or part of a daylily bloom, this category may include, but is not limited to: images of bloom segments or parts of a bloom, profile shots of a bloom or blooms, garden art, garden critters and images taken around the garden.

The question this time concerns daylily round robins. Donna was urged to join the general AHS Email Robin three years ago when she was asked to be the Ombudsman. She has learned a great deal from the information and the questions that AHS members ask. This column is written with the assistance of Gail Korn who is the Chair of Round Robins.
 
QUESTION:  I've heard many members talk about a daylily round robin. What exactly is it?
 
RESPONSE:  The dictionary defines a round robin as "a letter sent among members of a group, often with comments added by each member in turn." Another description of a robin is a group conversation that has shared information. The daylily round robins do exactly these things. AHS members sign up to share their daylily knowledge with other daylily growers, as well as ask questions that they need answered.
 
Here's a little history about the mailed daylily round robins. Prior to 1992, the only round robins were those sent through the mail. Each member is given a "Flight List": a list of all the participants with their addresses and phone numbers. When each member gets the packet of letters, that member takes out his or her old letter, writes a new one and sends the entire packet along to the next person on the list. Friendships are formed and information exchanged. Pictures are often included. Sometimes plant trades are arranged. Getting a robin packet full of letters from 7-11 other daylily growers is a special treat. It's great to get to know gardeners around the country!
 
QUESTION:  How do I join a robin?
 
RESPONSE:  It's as simple as contacting the Robin Chair. Currently the chair is Gail Korn. Her email address is gkorn@abbnebraska.com or roundrobins@daylilies.org. If you prefer to send her a note, write to Gail Korn, 85261 Hwy 15, Wayne, NE 68787.

Gail will forward your request to the leader of the robin you are interested in. Membership in a robin is a benefit of belonging to AHS and is a way to get to know other members and to get answers to your questions. (The Ombudsman will answer them also, but the robins have access to many seasoned daylily gardeners and hybridizers.)
 
QUESTION: It sounds as if there is more than one round robin. Can you tell me my choices?
 
RESPONSE:  There are nine paper robins for which you would write a letter and send it with the other letters to the robin member that is the next person on the list. In general, membership in one of these robins will require you to write between three and five letters per year. The advantage to the paper robins is that people write real letters about their experiences and experiments. You get to know the members and they become a circle of friends. These paper robins were discussed above in the first question. Two of these robins - Daylilies All Over and the Region 1 Robin (for members who live in Region 1) - are general-interest robins and anything concerning daylilies may be written about. Others are about more specific topics. They include Doubles, Landscaping, Nostalgia, Rust, Season Extenders, Spiders/Unusual Forms and Tetrobin. The Tetrobin discusses hybridizing tetraploids.
 
Several email robins exist also. The advantage is that answers can come immediately.  To join the big AHS Email Robin (over 1300 members), send a request to Tim Fehr at fehrtj@charter.net  or webmaster@daylilies.org. It is a general-interest robin and anything and everything about daylilies is discussed. To join one of the smaller email robins, send an email to Gail Korn and she will forward your request to the leader. The small email robins have about 30 members each and participation is required at least once a month. Some of them are general-interest robins but are specific to regions of the country. They include Region 2, the Mid-Atlantic, the Pacific Northwest, and the South Email Robins. Others are about specific topics. They include Historical Daylilies, Mini Daylilies, Sculptured Daylilies and Patterned Daylilies. One can join more than one robin. 
 
Note: Gail currently participates in two paper robins and three email robins. Gail mentions that if a paper robin packet happens to arrive at a very busy time for her, it's okay to just pass it on. Writing each time is not mandatory.

PRESS RELEASE
 
 
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
 
Contact: Andrea Weaver-Video and Photographic
Subcommittee Chair
The American Hemerocallis Society
photographyawards@daylilies.org

 

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Valdosta, GA, May 22, 2010-Hundreds of photos were reviewed to determine this year's winners of the American Hemerocallis Society (AHS) annual daylily photography and video awards.  Winners of the 2010 photography awards were: Patrick Stamile (Region 12, FL-Mildred Schlumpf Award: Single Bloom); Oliver Billingslea (Region 14, AL-Mildred Schlumpf Award: Landscape); and Jim Jeffcoat (Region 15, SC-A.D. Roquemore Memorial Award). Charles Dorsey (Region 2, OH) won the Lazarus Memorial Award for best daylily-related video.
 
The Mildred Schlumpf Awards for best photos showing daylilies in a landscape and best single daylily bloom photo were established in 1969 by Mrs. Robert Way Schlumpf to honor the memory of her late husband, an excellent photographer and a daylily enthusiast.