Those who were there already know it, and for those of you who weren’t–there aren’t words.
Thanks to Nancy Tackett and Bob Spotts and all the NCDS and Ironstone folks who made this trip so pleasurable, valuable, and fun. And how nice it is to see faces, perhaps only once or twice a year, with which we have such affinity, affection, and common interest. Let’s keep doing that.
There doubtless will be a torrent of excellent photos here and there are some over on Facebook, I know.
Some winners at the show especially deserving of note were:
Gold Medal for Innovation in Breeding – Itsy Bitsy Splitsy by Dr. Harold Koopowitz. Note the photo of this bloom when it appears, but be sure to see what its size is. I mention the Innovation Award because it is only awarded when some true innovation in hybridizing is identified. (The award was not made at Chicago last year.) The selection was made by a committee of five well-regarded hybridizing experts who attended the convention and were asked to serve by the President. They were: Mike Berrigan, Larry Force, Brent Heath, Graeme Miller (New Zealand), and Mike Temple-Smith (Australia).
The American Daffodil Society Silver Medal is awarded for meritorious service to the Society. The recipient for 2010 is Kirby Fong, Livermore, California.
The Gold Medal of The American Daffodil Society is given to someone who has done work of a pre-eminent nature in the advancement of daffodils. The award was presented to Dr. John Reed., Niles, Michigan.
The latter two are the most prestigious awards presented by the Society. The recipients are nominated from the membership and chosen by a committee of the previous three presidents, Steve Vinisky, Mary Lou Gripshover, and Rod Armstrong. I expect that the detailed citations for both awards will appear in a future Journal.
George Dorner