LOUISE BELLAGAMBA AWARD

Best Design - Midseason Show

By Jim Morris

The Louise Bellagamba Award for the Best Design at our Midseason Show was established by the Greater St. Louis Iris Society (GSLIS) in 1982 to honor past GSLIS president and Life Member, Amanda Louise Bellagamba (1912-2007) of Bridgeton, Missouri. Louise was an AIS Master Judge and mentor to many GSLIS members through the 50+ years she was a member.

Louise was an extraordinary flower designer doing it both professionally and for fun. And of course she won her namesake award the first year it was established! Louise lived most of her life at her Bella Vista Gardens on the Old Rock Road in Bridgeton. She and her husband Gus were together for over 51 years before his death in 1990, and raised five children, David and two sets of twins: Janet and Jack, and Andrea and Angela. Louise came from a big family herself with three sisters and five brothers.

Louise started growing irises because of her friendship with Sallee Kieferle Birkholtz and joined both GSLIS and the American Iris Society in the mid-1950s. Her first AIS Convention was in Milwaukee in 1969. Her garden was on tour during the 1981 Convention in St. Louis and she served as Guest Iris Chairman. She grew her seedlings at both Bella Vista and at her Country Garden in Weldon Springs, MO to which she moved in her later years. At age 78 she served as general contractor during the building of her new house there.

She made her first hybridizing crosses in 1958, and her first introduction in 1963 was of 'Big Deal', an orchid tall bearded iris with a yellow beard. Thus, she dabbled in hybridizing for 49 years, from age 46 to 95. She selectively introduced only 29 irises during those years as she was more interested in what a cross might produce than in keeping records or selling the results of her efforts. However, she did win twelve AIS Honorable Mentions and one Award of Merit for 'Rill' (92, SIB).

She was proudest of 'An-Jan' (79, TB). This was named for her three daughters. It won the Silver Medal (Medaglia D'Argento Dell'Ente Provinciale Turismo Di Firenze) for second place in Florence, Italy in 1982. It also won a special award (Coppa Alba Balbi Valier) for the best pink in this international iris competition.

Louise Bellagamba was a tireless worker for GSLIS and a strong supporter of its iris shows and design sections. A list of Best Design winners in the regular Midseason Show follows:

A list of Best Design winners in the regular Midseason Show follows:

1982...................................Louise Bellagamba
1983...................................Rita Kinsella
1984...................................Vince Italian
1985-1986..........................Jo-An Finke
1987...................................Cecelia Kassly
1988...................................Joan Kellar
1989...................................Sue Delmez
1990...................................Rita Kinsella
1991...................................Louise Bellagamba
1992...................................Rita Kinsella
1993...................................Nadine Wallenstein
1994...................................Nina Dix
1995...................................Nadine Wallenstein
1996-1998..........................Vince Italian
1999...................................Nadine Wallenstein
2000-2001..........................No Show
2002...................................Nadine Wallenstein
2003-2006..........................Vince Italian
2007...................................No Show
2008...................................Robin Gosnell
2009...................................Nadine Wallenstein
2010...................................Jim Morris
2011...................................Nadine Wallenstein
2012...................................Kim Peterson

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