ADA BUXTON PREMIO ROYALE AWARD

Best Specimen - Late Show

By Jim Morris

The Ada Buxton Premio Royale Award for the Best Specimen at our Late Show was established in 1987 by the Greater St. Louis Iris Society (GSLIS). It is a large silver traveling bowl mounted on a walnut wood pedestal.

The award is named in honor of past member Mrs. Walter (Ada) Buxton (1897-1982) who gardened on three acres at 817 Sappington Road, in Webster Groves, MO. Ada became a member of the American Iris Society in 1928, one of the first two members from the St. Louis area. She grew over 6,000 irises when her garden was on the AIS Convention tour in 1952, for which she served as Registrar.

Buxton was related to such notable St. Louis families as the Sappintons (she helped restore the historical Sappington House), the Eads (of St. Louis bridge fame), and the Hawkins (of plains rifle fame). She served as Region 18 RVP from 1956-1958, assisted in affiliation of the Mineral Area Iris Society in 1956, and was on the AIS Board of Directors 1963-1965 as chairman of the Awards Committee. For many years a member of the St. Louis Horticultural Society, within which the Greater St. Louis Iris Society held annual shows at MOBOT, she was a leader in the splitting out of GSLIS circa 1950. Her first irises included 'Queen Catrina', 'Quaker Lady' and 'Seminole'. She was an excellent photographer and always shot using a tripod.

The complete list of Best Specimen winners at our Late Show follows:

1987 Tsuzumi - Uta (Hand Drum) (JI)...........Don Delmez
1988 Haremanshika (JI)...............................Don Delmez
1989 Clyde Redmond (LA)............................Don Delmez
1990 I. pseudacorus Ivory (Species).............Jim Morris
1991 Eleanor Hill(SP)...................................Sheldon Butt
1992 Vintage Year (SP)................................Sheldon Butt
1993 Butterflies In Flight (JI)........................Don Delmez
1994 Strut And Flourish (JI)..........................Don Delmez
1995 Total Image (JI)...................................Don Delmez
1996 Imperial Sun (SP)................................Orville & Lu Dickhaut
1997 All In White (JI)....................................Don Delmez
1998 Center Of Attention (JI).......................Don Delmez
1999 Blue Spritz (JI).....................................Nyla Hughes
2000 Blue Spritz (JI).....................................Riley Probst
2001 Center Of Attention (JI).......................Phyllis Burton
2002 All In White (JI)....................................Don Delmez
2003 Eye Of Heaven (JI)...............................Don Delmez
2004 Ginger Punch (LA)................................Orville & Lu Dickhaut
2005.............................................................No Show
2006 Kyomai (JI)...........................................Don Delmez
2007-2013....................................................No Show

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