REGION 2 AFFILIATE REPORTS

CAPITAL HUDSON IRIS SOCIETY

President:  Linda Montanaro                                       Vice President:  Dan Maier

Secretary:  Virginia Dorwaldt                                      Treasurer:  Donald Salhoff

Newsletter Editor:  Virginia Dorwaldt                         Assistant Editor:  Euthemia Matsoukas

2010 Calendar of Events

Sunday, March 21^st, CHIS Meeting, East Greenbush Library, 1:30 pm., Mike Shadrack, speaker. A Wander Through English Gardens:  A lighthearted tour through the gardening obsession in theUK showing famous as well as private gardens.

Sunday, April 18^th, CHIS Meeting, East Greenbush Library, 1:30 p.m.,  Claudia Kostler, Garden Director and Linda Sercus, Executive Director, Presby Memorial Iris Garden will talk about Presby Memorial Iris Garden and show slides. Our bus trip this year will be to Presby (see May 30).

Saturday, May 1^st, Siberian Iris Dig at John Heimke’s.

Saturday, May 29^th, Iris Show at Colonie Center (location to be confirmed).

Sunday, May 30^th, Bus Trip to Presby Memorial Iris Garden inMontclair, New Jersey.

Saturday, June 5^th (raindate Sunday, June 6th), Garden tours and barbecue, sites to be announced.

Sunday, June 13^th, Siberian Iris and Perennial Sale, Main Square Shoppes, 318 Delaware Avenue, Delmar.  9 a.m. – 12 noon. 

Saturday, July 31^st (tentative) Rhizome Dig Party at Euthemia’s, 13 Hartwood Road, Delmar.

Saturday, August 7^th, 9:00 – noon, Iris Rhizome Sale at Faddegon’s Nursery.

CENTRAL NEW YORK IRIS SOCIETY

President:  Donna James                                             Vice President:  Helen Schueler

Secretary:  Ronald James                                            Treasurer:  Janette Smith

2010 Calendar of Events

March 4-7 – Central NY Bloom Show at Syracuse OnCenter.

March 19   - CNYIS Meeting-7PM-“Work Night”, Ron & Donna James Home.

April 16     - CNYIS Meeting and Supper-5:30 PM-Iris Presentation-Dana Borglum, Ron & Donna James’ Home.

May 21      - CNYIS Meeting-7PM-Meeting place TBA.

May 22      - CNYIS-Region 2-Judges Training-Helen Schueler’s home-10AM, CNYIS & Hosta-Training-Donna James’ home-2PM.

June 18      - Garden Tours-TBA.

July 3        - CNYIS Japanese Flower Show-Sandy Creek Fair - CNYIS Cut Leaf Host Show-Sandy Creek Fair.

August 8    - CNYIS & Hosta Club –Annual Sale, Auction & Picnic-10-3.  RSVP-Donna James.

September 17      - Election of Officers.

CNYIS Spring 2010 Report, Donna James

Greetings from the members of Central New York Iris Society to all Region 2.  CNYIS continues to be a viable small dedicated group. We are still working very hard to maintain and build our membership. We are going to have a big local membership drive this spring and summer.  People are interested in getting more for their “buck,” so in the following months CNYIS will form a local group. The club will be divided between iris and hosta. We will for the first time have local club dues.

On May 22 at 10:00 AM at the home of John & Helen Schueler, CNYIS/Region 2 will hold a judge’s training for ALL on How to Exhibit Iris.  The class will show ALL how to pick and groom a winner for an iris show.

On the same day at 2 PM at the home of Ron & Donna James a class for ALL on Exhibiting at a Cut Leaf Hosta Show will be held. These trainings are to help both the beginner and advanced flower grower learn some “neat” tricks of the trade. See you all there!!!

Ron and I have been busy planning and working for spring.  We are repairing & painting buildings for the train garden, making lots of garden signs and etc.  We are planting a new Hosta area with a huge formal circle of ‘Immortality’ irises as a focal point for the garden. We have always had two bloom seasons from this iris in our area. We love our hosta, but iris will always be our first love.  Come visit us!  Happy Gardening!

GREATER ROCHESTER IRIS SOCIETY

President: Donna Lowry                                            Vice President:  Cara Hutchings

Secretary:  Jacqueline Hyde                                        Treasurer:  Wesley Hyde

2010 Calendar of Events

February 21, Discussion of changes that will be beneficial to the club and a program entitled “A Refresher Course in Irises” by Donna Lowry.

April 18, Presentation on Japanese Iris at the 2008 National Convention in Kalamazoo, Michigan, by Vaughn Sayles.

GRIS 2009 Fall Report, Gert Hauck.

March, 2009, meeting was held on March 8, 2009.  Eleven people attended. Program was done by Master Gardener Sharon Rosenblum on Soil, “Beyond PH”.

April, 2009 meeting was held on April 19, 2009.  Thirteen people attended.   The power point program was put on by Ginny Byers, of her daylily garden.  She donated many irises at this time that were being discarded by a personal friend of hers.  Several people took them home for our sale.

May 31, GRIS visited the garden of members Cara and Nate Hutchings in the city of Rochester. Thirteen people attended.  Three went out for dinner afterwards.

June 21, two people visited the Louisiana Friendship Garden atHighland Park.

On Saturday, July 18, six people dug irises from the garden of Ginny Byers, who gladly donated whatever we dug out.

On Sunday, July 26 our annual sale happened at the Cornell Cooperative extension.  The profits were meager compared to other years.  Our leftovers were donated to the WNYIS, who passed all the leftovers along to the Frank Lloyd Wright House in Buffalo known as Graycliff where they are renovating the landscaping.  It is now called the Martin House.

The September 27 meeting was held and 13 people attended.  We had no nominations for officers.  No one was interested or willing to step forward.  Health problems and family situations have hampered our membership.

I will be stepping down at the next meeting in November.  Perhaps GRIS will need your help, Vaughn.

I have begun using e-mail for newsletters and all communication. There are just a few people who still need hard copy.

GRIS Spring 2010 Report, Donna Lowry

In November 2009, member Dana Borglum was our speaker. Dana did an excellent presentation on peonies, and he and Sylvia brought door prizes for everyone. All present had a wonderful time.

We are looking forward to our first meeting of the New Year on Sunday, February 21, 2010. Due to the uncertainty of the weather, member Donna Lowry will give a PowerPoint presentation, ‘A Refresher Course in Irises’.

Our meeting on Sunday, April 18, 2010 will feature Vaughn Sayles, current RVP of Region 2. Vaughn will be speaking about the new ‘pseudata’ irises and the National Japanese Iris Convention in Kalamazoo, Michigan in 2008. Our meetings are held in the auditorium of the Cornell Cooperative Extension of Monroe County, 241 Highland Avenue, Rochester, New York beginning at 2:00 p.m. All are welcome to come.

Anyone interested in a road-trip? Don’t forget the Friendship Garden in Highland Park, Rochester. The Louisiana irises bloom about the third and/or fourth week in June. Admission to the park is free.

Our public sale of irises will be July 25, 2010 in the parking lot of the Cornell Cooperative Extension of Monroe County, 241 Highland Avenue, Rochester, New York from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. Donations are welcome. Buyers are welcome too!

HUDSON VALLEY IRIS AND DAYLILY SOCIETY

President:  Jim Robinowitz                                         Vice President:  Georgette Martin

Secretary:  Perla Kaufman                                          Treasurer:  Frank Sorbello

Hospitality:  Betty Gilbert                                           Webmaster:  Jennifer Wagner

2010 Calendar of Events

March 7, HVIDS Meeting   “Composting” Our first meeting of 2010 will feature Mr.  Frank Alquist, of

Kingston who will provide the group with information on composting.

April 11, HVIDS Meeting   “Daylilies”  Guest speaker Janet Hong, member of the Tidewater Daylily Society and owner of Pine Ridge Perennials in Chesapeake, VA, will speak to the group about daylilies.  Community Room, Poughkeepsie Galleria.

May 2, HVIDS Meeting    “Preparing Irises for Show”   Bruce Baird and John Heimke, master iris growers and members of CHIS, have graciously agreed to walk us through the process of preparing our irises for the annual Iris Show, including selecting irises from your garden, transporting them to the show site, cleaning and tending them, and ensuring they look their best when the judges come around and peer so intently at them.

May 22, HVIDS OPEN GARDENS.

May 23, 14^th Annual AIS Affiliated HVIDS Judged Iris Show and Public Exhibition, Center Court, Poughkeepsie Galleria, Poughkeepsie, NY.  

July 16-18, “Daylilies, a Capital Affair”  AHS Regional 4 Meeting, hosted by the Hudson-Adirondack Daylily Society, at the Sovereign Best Western, 1228 Western Ave., Albany, NY. There will be tours of the gardens of John and Avis Randall, Marge Moon, Carol Volungus, Audreh Zeh, and the Cornell Cooperative Extension Gardens ofAlbany.

July 25, 10^th Annual HVIDS Daylily Show & Public Exhibition, Center Court, Poughkeepsie Galleria.  

July 31, Iris Rhizome and Daylily Fan Sale, Adams Fairacre Farm, Route 44, Poughkeepsie, NY.

Aug 14/15, Iris Rhizome and Daylily FanSale, Center Court, Poughkeepsie Galleria.

HVIDS Fall 2009 Report, Jim Robinowitz

In 2009, the HVIDS provided its members with many educational and enjoyable experiences including a series of excellent spring speakers.  We were blessed with a beautiful day to visit three lovely and distinctly different open member gardens:  Chuck and Perla Kaufman, Poughkeepsie, Frank and Rosemary Sorbello, Newburgh, Sondra Tillou and Phil Volpe, Kingston – mucho kudos to you all.  Since the HVIDS is both an iris and daylily club, we annually present two public shows.  Our iris show on May 31 was a success.  We had three great judges from CHIS. In July, we had our annual daylily exhibition, followed by our annual summer fundraising activities which included:  iris rhizome and daylily fan sales at Adams Fairacre Farms, in Poughkeepsie on August 1, and on the following Saturday and Sunday, the Poughkeepsie Galleria.  Special thanks go to the Sorbellos, the Dashes and Jennifer Wagner for their generosity in allowing the club to dig in their gardens for our sales.  Additionally, Frank Sorbello traveled to Kinderhook three times to participate in the Farmers Market assisted on different Saturdays by Chet Gilbert, Noel Montgomery and Jim Robinowitz.  Further thanks go to all members, who were involved in our various sales.  Our Treasurer, Frank Sorbello, along with his wife Rosemary, continue to be our fundraising leaders, as well as our staunchest workers.  They are the straw that stirs the drink!  Although we were able to add to our treasury, our sales definitely took a hit this year; noticeably off from both last year and our record year of 2007.  Perla Kaufman is responsible for all the timely and excellent club email and snail mail communications.  Finally, a bittersweet farewell to Howard and Lily Dash who have moved to New Mexico.  Howie was our outstanding President for the last two years.  They will both be sorely missed!

The ongoing repeated rain throughout the summer (what summer!) provided our gardens with an unusual lushness, not to mention quagmires of mud.  Our summer season was capped with an enjoyable day trip to North Country Daylilies.  We had three cars travel up to visit Melanie Mason’s gardens.  On the way, we stopped at Ella Murphy’s home where we enjoyed lunch and toured her exquisite property.  On the way and after we arrived, we encountered a drippy, dreary day.  During our stay, however, the rain subsided and we were able to have many lovely plants dug to take home.

We started off our fall with a very interesting presentation by John Stahl, from Baldwin, Long Island.  Our sights are now set on successfully hosting our first (AIS) Regional meeting on October 2 & 3.  Thanks to Rosemary Sorbello and Perla Kaufman who are our Hospitality Co-Chairs.

SOUTHERN TIER IRIS SOCIETY

President:  John Colley                                                           Vice President:  David Blake

Secretary:  Dorothy Stiefel                                          Treasurer:  E.J. Mattson

Newsletter Editor:  Vaughn Sayles

2010 Calendar of Events

MARCH 13 – Underused Bulbs for the Garden, Chad Miller, Flower Bulb Researcher at Cornell University.

APRIL 10 – Minnesota Gardens – Vaughn Sayles will provide a visual tour of gardens and flowers in bloom in the Minneapolis/Saint Paul area in June.

MAY 8 – Beardless Iris Tyme – A presentation by Vaughn Sayles on the newest and some not so new Siberian and other beardless iris in bloom at the 2009 National Convention, Bloomington, Minnesota.

AUGUST  7 – PLANT SALE.

SEPTEMBER 11 – Japanese Gardens, Charles Hunt.

OCTOBER 9 – Japanese Iris, Ron & Donna James, Enchantment Acres Flower Farm.

NOVEMBER 13 – Recap of 2010 AIS Convention, Dorothy Stiefel and Vaughn Sayles.

DECEMBER 11 – HOLIDAY PARTY.

WESTERN NEW YORK IRIS SOCIETY

President:  Maria Gerbracht                                        Vice President:  Mary Jane Shanley

Secretary:  Patricia Kluczynski                                               Treasurer:  David Baehre

2010 Calendar of Events

Mar. 7, Sunday, 2–4:00 p.m., Buffalo & Erie County Botanical Gardens, Meeting:   approve Budget, plan special events, Program:  Demonstration – Making flower designs with irises, Maria Gerbracht, National Garden Clubs Flower Show Judge.

May 2, Sunday, 2–4:00 p.m., home of David Baehre, 5755 Genesee St. Lancaster, Meeting:   plan flower shows, Program:  How to Enter Specimens in an Iris Show, David Baehre, Master Judge, American Iris Society dwbfarm@roadrunner.com, with questions you want answered.

June 5, Saturday, 1–5:00 p.m., Eastern Hills Mall (near the food court), 4545 Transit Road,

Williamsville, 9:00 a.m., IrisShow, Enter any named iris, Designs by reservation

mrgerbracht@verizon.com.

June 11, Friday 6-8:00 p.m., Tour of 4 Iris Gardens, meet in David Baehre’s garden, 5744 Genesee Street, Lancaster, See irises with complementary perennials and shrubs.

July 11, Sunday, noon- 4 p.m.   Rudolph Galley & Sons Greenhouses, 2722 Clinton St. West Seneca, Spectacular Japanese Iris and Bloomin’ Hosta Show, Oriental Designs by Ikebana International Buffalo Chapter 50.  The iris Society will hold a standard Iris Show jointly with The Western New York Hosta Society, which will have an exhibit of Hosta Blooms (practice judging) and also exhibit Hosta Planters.

July 18, Sunday, picnic, place to be determined, Learn how to prepare irises for the sale.

July 31, Sat., 9 a.m. - 4 p.m., Rudolph Galley & Sons Greenhouses 2722 Clinton St., W. Seneca, IRIS SALE and Silent Auction of new cultivars.

Sept. 12, Sun., 2-4 p.m., Annual Meeting:  Election of new officers.

Nov. 7, Sun.  2-4 p.m., Anniversary Celebration, Awards Night.

WNYIS 2009 Fall Report, Maria Gerbracht

Of the 26 members in our group, 19 participated in some of our activities, while never more than 10 attended our meetings and programs.  We have 5 active flower show judges and two working hard to become accredited student judges.  We lost our dear friend, George Eisenhardt, after a long illness. He always contributed so much to our shows with the lovely stalks he grew.

A monthly newsletter or written notice goes out March through September to all our members keeping them informed about locally planned activities.  This year we had meetings with programs in March, May, July and September.  The July program was on garden judging of Japanese irises in the garden of iris judge Joanne Bassett.  She prepared an official one hour Judges Training Program (with exam) which was followed by a delicious pot luck supper.  Additionally, we enjoyed touring four of our members’ gardens on June 10^th when Siberians were at their best.

Once again, led by Judy Tucholski-Zon, we held two flower shows.  Our Saturday, June 6^th Show at Eastern Hills Mall featured TBs and Siberians, and several of us made an effort to show Historic irises because we were awarding the Ethel Peckham Award.  10 Exhibitors brought 110 entries to be judged.  David Baehre won Best Specimen of Show with TB ‘Boxwinks Iditarod’.  Five designers brought arrangements according to the theme of the show “As Time Goes By”.  Best Design of Show went to Maria Gerbracht.  Joanne Bassett made a great educational exhibit on the judging of irises.  The July 5, Japanese Iris Show was once again held at Rudolph Galley & Sons Greenhouses and beautifully staged in front of Japanese screens.  This was a small show with only 22 specimens exhibited by 5 growers. Best Specimen of Show went to a Japanese Iris ‘Picotee Princess’ grown by Maria Gerbracht.  Best Design of Show was earned by Judy Tucholski-Zon whose creation was complimented by a lovely oriental accessory.  The Educational Exhibit Certificate was earned by Ikebana International Chapter 50.  Two members demonstrated and exhibited some truly creative Japanese designs.

The August 1 Sale and Chinese Auction of New Introductions, also took place at Galley’s Greenhouse in our favorite suburb of West Seneca, halfway between the north and south towns of Buffalo.  Once again David Baehre arranged to purchase irises from a northern Hybridizer so we could hold a Pre-sale:  a colorful flyer offering a choice of 12 named cultivars which may be ordered early and then picked up on the day of the sale.  We usually make about $300 on the Pre-sale and it allows everybody to purchase irises even if you know you will be out of the town on that day.  Seven of us dug irises and contributed them, and our friends from Rochester donated their leftovers to our sale.  We had MDB, SDB, MTB, BB, TB, Siberians, Japanese, Louisianas, Species and Species-Crosses for sale.  Usually somebody takes the leftovers to the flea market for sale the next day.  However, this year we donated them to two worthy causes:  (1) The Buffalo and Erie County Botanical Gardens received all the early flowering irises, because in May 2012 they will be one of the hosts of the national convention of Garden Clubbers.  (2) The remaining irises were donated to Graycliff, the summer home architect Frank Lloyd Wright designed for the Darwin D. Martin Family.  To restore the garden, the Wright design called for an iris bed surrounding the reflection pool.  We were honored to participate in this renovation which eventually will attract many visitors when they come to admire Buffalo’s architecture.

We publicize our events monthly in the BUFFALO NEWS, Friday night gardening section.  Bi-monthly notices go in the Magazine:  UPSTATE GARDENER’S JOURNAL. And seasonal ads appear in the FIGURE 8, the publication for Western New York garden clubs of the National Garden Clubs of NY State. Additionally we distribute handouts at the Buffalo & Erie County Botanical Gardens and Galley’s Nursery.  New this year are e-mail notices our secretary sends out to anybody inquiring about any of our events, those who have purchased irises from us before or friends and family we wish to send a reminder.

At our September meeting we re-elected our present officers.  We are working hard to promote the love of growing irises, but our numbers are not growing.  I’m interested in your suggestions on what to do to change this trend.

WNYIS Spring 2010 Report, Maria Gerbracht

50^th Anniversary Year

           Originally known as Niagara-Southwest Area, our group was founded on April 24, 1960, by botanist Bob Milner who once worked as a hybridizer with Walter Marx and later at Wayside Gardens.  Twenty two ESIS members with boundless enthusiasm signed on to share knowledge for growing better irises, planned an August iris auction and two more meetings in homes where they would also tour gardens. Since a Japanese Iris hybridizer founded us, is there any wonder that we have a special fascination for growing that beardless iris?

For 2010, we decided to make sure that at each of our planned events, we will focus on the social component and programs that are FUN. We will have our meetings in homes, if at all possible, until our meeting attendance outgrows our homes.  Those of us who have been long time members clearly recall that we became members because of social connections to somebody who was a member of the Iris Society.  As in 2009, membership building is our one priority, but the approach is somewhat different.