Lee Walker by Jeanette Graham, 2018 MVIS Show

Hybridizer Lee Walker

Tenmile, Oregon, USA

From the 2023 Convention book:

Lee was born in Palmer, Alaska and grew up in northern California. After receiving his Bachelor and Master of Science from U.C. Berkeley, he joined the US Marine Corps, completing Officers Candidate School and two tours of duty in Vietnam. After the Marines, Lee went back to school at U.C. Davis and finished his post-graduate work in genetics.

Lee began hybridizing Japanese and Spuria iris in the mid -'80's. In 1989 he moved to the Tenmile area of Southern Oregon and established Twilight Iris Gardens. For the last twenty- five years he has worked with converting diploid Japanese iris to tetraploid and developing a pollinating process that increases their seed production. Lee has also worked with Lilies, Daylilies, Gladiolas, MDB, SDB, IB ,and TB iris, as well as Siberians and X-Crosses.

In search of pH appropriate irrigation water Lee and Betsy moved to just outside of Roseburg, Oregon early in 2017. He also retired from a career as an advisor to the U.S. Government.

Lee received the Eric Nies metal for his introduction of ‘Solar Fusion’ in 2012, and ‘Red War Cloud’ in 2019. He received the inaugural "David Niswonger Trophy”, a Spuria Iris Society Convention award, for ‘Red War Cloud’ in 2017. Lee has been an active member of both the Oregon Trails Iris Society, and the Greater Portland Iris Society for years. Additionally, he has served on the OTIS Board of Directors for many years.

Dr. Walker has been giving talks and seminars for decades, including sharing the keynote address for the Japanese Iris Society with Dr. Currier McEwen in 1999. Lee slowed down enough to become an AIS Iris Judge in 2017.

---

Lee's Irises in Bold have won AIS Awards.

Registrations/Introductions:

Intermediate Bearded: 'Crimson Jazz', 'Hand Sewn', 'Quantum Night',

Japanese: 'Angel's Light', Blue Circle Dance', 'Blue Line Dance', 'Blue Star Craola', 'Blue Twilight Moon', 'Bright Autumn Moon', 'Craola Breezing', 'Craola Fiesta', 'Craola Kiss' , 'Craola Rio', 'Craola Solstice' , 'First Strike Craola' , 'Full Maroon Moon', 'Kool Craola Ice' , 'Lavender Blue Skies', 'Mulberry Tango', 'Oregon Marmalade' , 'Pink Moon Shadows', 'Sit Right Down', 'Tenmiles High', 'Twilight Attraction', 'Twilight Burst', 'Twilight Day Dreamer', 'Twilight Lighting', 'Twilight Marble', 'Violet Craola Vortex', 'Walk Right In',

Miniature Dwarf Bearded: 'Don't Blink Twice', 'Fire Opal Orange', 'Little Red Jonni', 'Little Shout', 'Minute Angel', 'Petite Fairy', 'Short Jazz Tune', 'Short Nip', 'Short Note', 'Small Opus', 'Teacup Sonata' , 'Tiny Gypsy', 'Tiny Kaboom', 'Tiny Opera', 'Tiny Shiny', 'Tiny Squires', 'Tiny Talker', 'Tiny Whispers', 'Wee Note' ,

Spuria: 'Blue Fusion' , 'Blue Star Light', 'Cosmic Sunshine', 'Early Morning Thunder', 'Eureka Titan', 'Honey Mocha Lotta' , 'Klondike Dreams', 'Lemon Tower', 'Madame Lynn', 'Neon Camel', 'Oregon Cream' , 'Oregon Sunlight', 'Rays of Twilight', 'Red War Clouds' , 'Red Warlord' , 'Remembering Vic' , 'Salmon Sunset', 'Sockeye', 'Solar Amethyst', 'Solar Fusion' , 'Some Say Its Pink' , 'Steely Eyes', 'Violet Fusion' ,

Standard Dwarf Bearded: 'Be Bopp Baby', 'Bubble Gum Blue', 'Code Blonde', 'Cowboy Hat Pink', 'Crimson Jazz', 'Hip Hop Queen', 'Homespun Honey', 'Inca Sunrise', 'Jester's Crown, 'Just Past Twilight', 'Little Caballero', 'Oregon Pay Dirt', 'Red Alarm', 'Red Top Hat', 'Solar Sparks', 'Splash of Light', 'Standard Eclipse', 'Too Happy', 'Twilight Plic', 'Two Tone Gypsy', 'Vanilla Yellow',

Tall Bearded: 'Don Quixote Dreams', 'Lieutenant Star Walker', 'Plumtastic', 'Stonecipher', 'Whispering Lilacs',

-- BobPries - 2011-07-29