Hybridizer Sterling U. Innerst --(1935-2010)

Dover, Pennsylvania, USA

Sterling Innerst was born on a farm of approximately 1100 acres where the specialties were registered Holstein dairy cattle, beef, grain, and poultry. Sterling is one of seven children.
.... During his tenure in the service, he was a Military Policeman stationed at Fort Campbell, Kentucky. After his discharge, he purchased a farm and bred, milked, and showed registered Holsteins. After five years of farming, he decided to do what he had always wanted to do--become an elementary school teacher. The farm was sold, and Sterling attended York Junior College for two years. He was hired by Dover School District with a Temporary Emergency Certificate because of a teacher shortage
....During his first year, a fellow teacher gave him some unnamed irises. After receiving a Wild's catalogue, he discovered that irises had names and were not called "flags." Twelve irises were purchased from Wild's, including Lulu Marguerite. Soon, he discovered that his priorities were changing and that he no longer had time to live on campus and work for a Doctorate.
....In 1975, Sterling moved to his current five-acre "plantation." In 1981, he married his lovely wife, Barbara. They now grow many varieties and classes of irises, daylilies, and orchids. They grow seedlings of all these, plant a garden Sterling calls too large, and grow many other flowering plants. Barbara collects iris and orchid artifacts and has an impressive array of each.
....In addition to his commercial garden, Sterling still teaches elementary school in Dover, Pennsylvania, and continues his education by taking summer and evening courses when they are available.

* Sterling Innerst won the American Dykes Medal for 'Before the Storm' in 1996. This iris was also awarded the President's Cup 1995 and the Wister Medal 1995.

Sterling Innerst was honored by the American Iris Society with the Hybridizer Award in 1997.

See below:

• Gardens
• Registrations and Introductions
• Awards
• Iris Publications
• Biographical Notes
• Hybridizing Notes

Gardens

Registrations and Introductions

Border Bearded: 'Bochamp', 'Bosigh', 'Chapter', 'Cin Cin', 'Delightful Kid', 'Grobswitcher', 'Paragraph', 'Prime Time',

Intermediate Bearded: 'Ameila Bedeila', 'Bunnicula', 'Carriwitched', 'Chuckatuck', 'Dumbledore', 'Finsterwald', 'Flivver', 'Frothingslosh', 'Grindelwald', 'Hackmatack', 'Higgledy-Piggledy', 'Hissy-Fit', 'Hokeypokey', 'Kimmelfarber', 'Marris', 'Megglethorp', 'Messenger', 'Pookanilly', 'Revved Up', 'Roz', 'Silkengold', 'Sterlingold', 'Sue Zee',

Japanese: 'Abraco', 'Absalom', 'Admetus, 'Agrippine', 'Anytus', 'Capaneus', 'Diomedes', 'Epimetheus', 'Glittering Rays', 'Hegira', 'Iapetus', 'Ipsus', 'Jocasta', 'Odysseus', 'Peloponnesus', 'Persephone',

Minature Tall Bearded: 'Jimjams',

Standard Dwarf Bearded: 'Aslan', 'Assignment', 'Brusk', 'Coalbucket', 'Comma', 'Dash, 'Deet', 'Diggles', 'Dot', 'Duddy', 'Earthly Glow', 'Efreets', 'Elena', 'Ettins', 'Guideword', 'Hafnium', 'Hee Haw', 'Heepers', 'Hobby', 'Huddle', 'Idea', 'Index', 'Inflamed', 'Inlaid', 'Jabal', 'Jabberwocky', 'Jared', 'Jeepers', 'Jubal', 'Learn', 'Lesson', 'Lofty', 'Muggles', 'Narnia', 'Oompha Loompa', 'Orknies', 'Outstep', 'Penetela', 'Pibbling', 'Pippi Longstockings', 'Prompt', 'Scotch-Hopper', 'Skiddle', 'Smart', 'Squiddler', 'Stronda', 'Syllable', 'Vanya',

Tall Bearded (A-J): 'After The Storm', 'Again And Again', 'Aggressively Forward', 'Alice Remembered', 'Anvil Of Darkness', 'Anxiously Ahead', 'Apparent Secret', 'Are You Lonesome', 'Aviance', 'Back Street Affair', 'Ballerina Blue', 'Before The Storm', 'Behind Closed Doors', 'Berlinetta', 'Bertwistle', Black Suited', 'Brazenberry', 'Buffer Zone', 'Calculated Grace', 'Cee Cee', 'Childhood Memories', 'Claudia Barton Blair', 'Codicil', 'Colorscape', 'Colortart', 'Colortrak', 'Colorwatch', 'Concise', 'Continuity', 'Contrite', 'Credible Justification', 'Critic', 'Deserving Treasure', 'Different Approach', 'Don't Be Cruel', 'Dorothea Marquart', 'Dorothy Davis', 'Embellishment', 'Erotic Touch', 'Established Powers', 'Evening Discussion', 'Evening Velvet', 'Exactitude', 'Exclusivity', 'Fervid', 'Fiery Figure', 'Fluent', 'Foreign Statesman', 'Foreign Storm', 'Gingeruffle', 'Grateful Citizen', 'Handsome', 'Helen K. Armstrong', 'Helen Leader', 'Heliacal Carnelia', 'High Lonesome', 'Hitching Post', 'Hypnotic Melody', 'In the Dark', 'In the Morning', 'Indoctrination', 'Innirishow', 'Instructor', 'Intense Emotions', 'Interesting Expressions', 'Jambris', 'John Kearney',

Tall Bearded (K-Z): 'Kali Julia', 'Knock Quietly', 'Lascivious Dreams', 'Linda's Child', 'Lunar Whitewash', 'Lynsy Alexandra', 'Missy Yorktowne', 'Mountain Dew', 'My Stitches', 'Newsbreak', 'Newswatch', 'Newswrap', 'Night Fires', 'Old Loyalties', 'Ominous Stranger', 'Over and Over', 'Palmer Leader', 'Peaceful Persuasion', 'Peacekeeping Force', 'Pleasantly Warm', 'Point In Time', 'Point Made', 'Pretty Generous', 'Principles', 'Progressive Attitude', 'Pure-As-The', 'Ripcord', 'Rive Gauche', 'Rose Shiner', 'Ruffled Feathers', 'Rumbleseat', 'Seth', Shimmering Satin, 'Springhouse', 'Sterling Blaze', 'Sterling Blush', 'Sterling Flurry', 'Sterling Mistress', 'Sterling Prince', 'Sterling Stitch', 'Sterling's Ladylove', 'Subtle Announcement', 'Ted Shiner', 'Tennessee Gentleman', 'Tennessee Woman', 'Twice Delightful', 'Verily Verily', 'Warmed By the Sun', 'Wine Colored Days', 'Yubblegum'.

Awards

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Sterling Innerst's AIS Medal Awarded Irises

Below you will find a picture gallery with a links to Sterling Innerst's irises that won AIS Medals.

They are presented in chronolgical order.

2004

'Epimetheus', Japanese, JI Payne Medal 2004 Award of Merit 2000 Honorable Mention 1996

1997:

'Iapetus', Japanese, JI Payne Medal 1997 Award of Merit 1994 Honorable Mention 1990

1996:

'Before the Storm', Tall Bearded, TB American Dykes Medal 1996 Wister Medal 1995 Award of Merit 1993 Honorable Mention 1991 President's Cup 1995 High Commendation 1988

Printable inclusive list of Sterling Innerst's AIS Awarded and Recognized Irises with links to each iris as of April 2025.

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Iris Publications

under construction

Biographical Notes

under construction

Hybridizing Notes

under construction