A reminder of our 2015 Program and Events

THE GREATER ROCHESTER IRIS SOCIETY

  an Affiliate of the American Iris Society

Exciting Programs and Events for 2015!

And   YOU  are invited!

(All GRIS programs are open to the public.)

March 8 - 1:00 p.m. 

”Mardi Gras in Your Garden: 

Growing Louisiana Irises in Upstate New York” 

Learn the secrets to to growing these exotic Louisiana irises in your garden!

AIS Accredited Judge M.J. Urist of Louisiana Iris Gardens, Tully NY

St. John’s Episcopal Church Parish Hall, 11 Episcopal Avenue, Honeoye Falls

April 12 – 2:00 p.m

”Iris in the Perennial Border”

Laurie Burtner, Monroe County Master Gardener, tells us how to include various irises 

in our gardens with other plants and varying degrees of light.                   

St. John’s Episcopal Church Parish Hall, 11 Episcopal Avenue, Honeoye Falls

May 31 

”It’s HIGH Time for Iris” 

The Annual GRIS Iris Show with Bloom Stalks and Floral Designs

Marketplace Mall, Henrietta 

Ask us how you can participate!

July 26 (tentative)        

Annual Iris Sale

Bargain rates for newer irises and those successfully grown in our area.  It’s your opportunity to ask GRIS members all about growing these fabulous flowers!  Location TBD.

September 13 – 2:00 p.m.

The 2015 AIS Convention - Fabulous Flowers 

GRIS member Neil Houghton shows and discusses his photos from this memorable event featuring tours of some of the major iris growers in the US.

St. John’s Episcopal Church Parish Hall, 11 Episcopal Avenue, Honeoye Falls

October 11 – 2:00 p.m. 

Elections and the White Iris Gift Exchange.

General meeting with end-of-the-year discussions.

For further information: Cara Hutchings, GRIS President

thehutchings@mac.com                       (585) 266-0302

Follow us on our web site:  http://rochesteriris.blogspot.com/ 

Ask us how you can become a member!

April 2015 Newsletter

Greater Rochester Iris Society

an affiliate of the American Iris Society

April 2015 – rochesteriris@blogspot.com

   As we wait for Mother Nature to make up her mind (Do I allow spring to come through?  Oh, but the cold is needed too!), we can continue to plan our gardens, because that’s all we can do right now, plan!

Many thanks to MJ Urist for presenting such a wonderful judge’s training and program at our last meeting.  We had a great time at our new location. It was a very pleasant drive from our house to the church last month, and I’m sure it will be even nicer as the weather warms up.

Our April meeting has our very own Laurie Burtner giving a talk on iris in the perennial border.  As almost every one of us has been to her garden, we know it will be a real treat! This meeting will start at the usual 2pm in our new digs, St. John’s Episcopal Church, 11 Episcopal Ave. in Honeoye Falls.

We ask that you bring your thinking caps to the meeting, also.  We have to come up with a new location for our sale.  With the move of the Cooperative Extension, we have lost our space.  The executive committee has been throwing a few ideas around, so we will be presenting them for your consideration, but we can always use new ideas and locations.  If you can think of anything, and can’t attend the meeting, please feel free to call or email me.  I love ideas!

After that, we start getting ready for our show “It’s High Time for Iris”, on May 31^st at the Marketplace Mall. 

A week later, while we still have some blooms in our garden, we will be having our annual picnic at Neil’s place.  Time to be decided.

Our September 13^th meeting will be Neil’s talk on the 2015 AIS convention.  I know I am looking forward to that!

And on October 11^th, we will have an end of the year wrap-up, with elections and the white iris gift exchange for fun.  Right now, we will have openings in the vice president and secretary positions.  But all positions are open, really.  If you are interested in any position, please let a member of the executive committee know.

The Western NY Iris Society, our sister organization, will be having a meeting the week after ours, on April 19^th, where they will be having a presentation on Spuria iris, an AIS PowerPoint presentation on the Genus Iris and they will also be distributing Species Iris seeds.  If you are interested in attending, please contact Carolyn Schaffner at drsnooks@twc.com.  Their show will be on June 13^th at Eastern Hills Mall, so if we have any later varieties of iris blooming, we can catch their show! 

Their sale is scheduled for August 24^th, where they will be joining several other plant societies at the Buffalo Botanical gardens.  And in September, they will be having their picnic. 

Don’t forget GRIS dues are due at this coming meeting, and also anyone who wants to pre-order for the sale, monies are due then also.  We are still doing Rochester Rewards and bring a friend to our meetings for a $5 reward!