October Newsletter!

Greater Rochester Iris Society

an Affiliate of the American Iris Society

September 2013 newsletter

Editor – Cara Hutchings

Welcome to what hopefully will be a wonderful fall after enjoying a delightful summer!  We certainly have been lucky this summer.  We had a great show to start off and a very successful sale at the height of summer.  Thanks to all members for all your help, participating in the show, donating iris for the sale, and working the sale!  Oh, and don’t forget the great time we had at the picnic!  Special thanks to Barb Veomett for hosting the picnic at her beautiful house.

    

Our next meeting is coming up fast.  It will be on September 8^th at 2 pm at Monroe County CCE, 249 Highland Ave.  We have a lot to discuss, as we will be going over the budget and doing some planning for next year, since we would like to devote as much time as possible to our October speaker (more on that later).  We will also be having a presentation by Neil Houghton on our new website, http://rochesteriris.blogspot.com and how to use the Internet to have a better garden (hmm…. can you really grow a better iris on the internet?).  and Betty Schnellinger will be showing how to use our yahoo group to its best advantage.  That is found at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/GRISiris. Check things out before the meeting, and let us know your questions then!  We will be having elections at our October meeting, so anyone planning to run for an office needs to let Wes Hyde, our election chairperson, know by the end of the September meeting. 

M.J. Urist in her iris garden with Betty and Jim

In October, we will be presenting a very special guest, MJ Urist from Tully, NY.  She started growing Louisiana Iris (on a dare) in 2007, and hasn’t stopped growing them since!  There are over 150 registered and introduced varieties in her gardens, with several hundred seedlings under observation.  We feel very fortunate to have her speak on October 13^th.  She also likes to share her love of Louisiana iris, so she may have a few surprises in store for us.

  

On October 18-19 we will be hosting the Region 2 fall meeting. We will need everyone’s help to make this a success.  On Friday, we will have a judge’s training session with our speaker, Stephanie Markham of Toadland Gardens in Norfolk, MA. Afterwards will be a dessert/social hour featuring our great cooks in the club (yes, I'm talking to you, you great cooks!).  On Saturday will be the actual board and member meetings in the morning, followed by a terrific lunch, and then Stephanie will again speak about her hybridizing efforts.  Everyone who has heard her speak says she is quite personable and a great speaker.   I am looking forward to it! 

  

We will be having a silent auction, with a chance to bid on iris hybridized by Stephanie, as well as other items.  And again, we need your help.  As you go around to garage sales and flea markets this fall, check and see what iris or garden related items there might be.  Please consider purchasing them and donating them to the silent auction. 

  

So please consider bringing a friend to a meeting (an extra Rochester Rewards when they do, and 5 extra if they join!) and don’t forget, we need to lock the doors of the CCE 15 minutes after the start of the meeting!