Lucy - The newsletters are wonderful! Thank you!

Denman55 said:Yes, I did join the Garden State Iris Society, which comprises New Jersey, Delaware and Pennsylvania, but they only meet once per year, at their annual Show which is in May, and
it is not held anywhere near me in New Jersey. So I guess I won't be participating in anything
with them. Ho-Hum! I am also a member of the AIS, TB Iris Society, HIPS, Siberian Iris Society,
etc. I do enjoy seeing and reading the bulletins with tons of pictures of Irises.

DVIS Delaware Valley Iris Society is also active in your area. I am not sure if it would be any closer, but it is an active group. There are several meetings, shows, garden tours and an annual club sale and auction. Nice group of people.

Good winter reading when we are bored.

I belong to the Utah Iris Society.......an active club and a group of very nice people. We have informative meetings in March and April. If the iris are in bloom we have a non-accredited show. Two accredited shows in May. The last Sat of July or first Sat in August we have a sale and auction.....older things for $3 in morning, pot luck lunch, and then an auction which includes things from top hybridizers that the club orders. It's next Saturday and I have started to dig. In September we have an awards banquet and bingo party......I start cleaning up during bingo. Most members pitch in for setting-up and cleaning-up. I would recommend giving the club a chance

irisarian said:Good winter reading when we are bored.

Yes, and I have met the fellas from Maine. Warren Hazelton handed me Melanie Baither and Jeff Dunlop gave me his turns at the swap.

To me, iris hybridizers are famous people! I feel very honored to be able to chat with you and the hybridizers on Facebook, and the ones in real time.

I was looking at 2 of the iris clubs that I have seen, one is too far to go to when they have meetings which is 3 to 4 hour drive each way,. I don't like to do a lot of driving anymore. Here is a video they did of a tropical plant/iris show and sale they did. Looked like it was a good setup.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?...

I will probably go with the other one which is about 75 to 90 minute drive away. Which for me is more doable.

I joined the Bluegrass Iris Society Saturday while at their rhizome sale. I had been following their facebook page activity and signed up for the email newsletters several months ago, and have been impressed with the activity and regular communications. Every few months they upload youtube videos on care, culture, how to divide, etc. From what I'm hearing about clubs in other regions, sounds like the BIS is a good one.

It all depend s on the experience & ages of the members. When ISM started we had Bee Warburton who helped on dwarfs & god the Joe Pye Weed garden people in Siberians. Now we have them for beardless & Lynn & Stephanie Markham for Borders and Miniature talls. Bob Sobek is back into hybridizing dwarfs after retiring. It was really funny trying to explain the photo of Snow Tree. Is it that white? yes. What olor are the lines? It depends on the soil, green in some, grey in others. I lost my voice at the sale as usual. Hope to have it strong again at the auction next weekend.

Some other year when I have shoulders and a car I am not sharing, I will make my way back home to Massachusetts for an event.

Horrid thing: today John found a SDB bag which had been left behind & we will have to plant it somewhere.

Horrid stuff like that should happen to me. LOL if I found a bag that someone had left behind it would have baby nappies in it...... used ones.

Paul2032 said:I belong to the Utah Iris Society.......an active club and a group of very nice people. We have informative meetings in March and April. If the iris are in bloom we have a non-accredited show. Two accredited shows in May. The last Sat of July or first Sat in August we have a sale and auction.....older things for $3 in morning, pot luck lunch, and then an auction which includes things from top hybridizers that the club orders. It's next Saturday and I have started to dig. In September we have an awards banquet and bingo party......I start cleaning up during bingo. Most members pitch in for setting-up and cleaning-up. I would recommend giving the club a chance

Would you try to let me know next year or send me some info. My hubby would not be amenable this year to taking me to PG for an iris show , not with a broken shoulder.But we do have a son there so it would be doubly fun. ,
Heck I can look it up myself. Thanks, Paul

The bag was left behind at our house, should have gone to the sale so we will have to replant it somewhere. sigh!

ah, gotcha, Lucy. That is a shame. Could have raised more funds for the club but now has to be replanted.

But where in the garden is a difficult matter. I want to use its spot for something else. Will find a spot though.