REMEMBERING
 

IN MEMORIUM

 

Leslie Laking

 

1916 – 2011

 

(excerpts from The Globe and Mail, May 18, 2011, provided courtesy of ‘The Iris Standard, Newsletter of the Ontario Iris Society”, v. 6, issue 4 (July/Aug. 2011))

 

Dr. Leslie Laking, one of the founding members of the Canadian Iris Society, died on April 16 in Burlington, ON of natural causes at the age of 95.

Laking studied horticulture at the Ontario Agricultural College, which later became the University of Guelph. From 1946 onward, he worked at the Royal Botanical Gardens (RBG) as a horticulturist and assistant director. He retired 35 years later as their longest-running director. Upon retirement, he was appointed as honorary president of the RBG Auxiliary, and more recently as director emeritus of the RBG.

Laking received many accolades over the years, including honorary doctorate degrees from University of Guelph and McMaster University. He was particularly proud to have received the Order of Canada in 1979.

The Laking Garden, or Spring Garden, at the RBG, was named in honour of Leslie and Barbara Laking in 1981. Today this garden is still home to the RBG’s herbaceous perennial collection. Each year the RBG celebrates iris bloom in this garden with an iris ‘festival’.

 

THE DON LOWRY

MEMORIAL GARDEN

 

In July, friends, family and community members joined together at the Rochester Museum and Science Center, in Rochester, New York, for the dedication of “The Don Lowry Memorial Garden.”

 

Don, the late husband of Region 2 RVP Donna Lowry, helped to found four horticultural societies. They are the Greater Rochester Perennial Society, the Genesee Valley Hosta Society, the Greater Rochester Iris Society, and the Finger Lakes Daylily Society. In addition, to the founding of these societies, Don was a Master Gardener for the Cornell Cooperative Extension of Monroe County and served on its Board of Directors for many years.

 

A boulder from Don’s home garden is engraved with the names of the contributors to the garden.

 

Don’s favorite tree peony ‘Guardian of the Monastery’ hybridized by William Gratwick of Linwood Gardens is also planted in the garden.

 

Along with other perennials and conifers, there is a marble bench on which to rest and contemplate the beauty of the garden.

 

Although the Greater Rochester Perennial Society sponsored the Dedication of the Garden, each of the societies worked to raise funds for the garden.

 

Included in the garden are the Japanese Iris ‘Don and Donna’ introduced by Bauer and Coble of Ensata Gardens, Hosta ‘Don Lowry’ introduced by Ran Lydell of Eagle Bay Hosta Gardens, and Daylily ‘Don Lowry’ introduced by Tom and  Kathy Rood of Grace Gardens.