Irises have come a long way since ‘the purple one’ we may recall decades ago from grandmother’s garden. Iris enthusiasts Kate Brewitt and Terry Laurin will expand our awareness of the many cultivars now available and reveal how including different types of irises in our gardens can prolong the variety of blooms for more than four months. They will also share tips on iris care to ensure the best possible results.

Kate and Terry say their iris obsession started upon the discovery of three tall bearded irises in an abandoned garden thirty years ago. Their home garden in Aurora, known as Aurora Borealis Iris Garden, now has more than 500 different cultivars and is a display garden for the Historic Iris Preservation Society, the Median Iris Society, the Dwarf Iris Society, and the Society for Siberian Iris. In addition to being accredited American Iris Society Master Judges, Kate is the Secretary, Webmaster and Newsletter Editor for the Ontario Iris Society (ONIS); and Terry is President of ONIS and Photo Manager for the American Iris Society Iris Encyclopedia (also known as the Iris WIKI).

Plants for Sale: Kate and Terry are planning to bring a variety of potted iris plants to the McConaghy Centre this evening for sale to in-person meeting attendees (cash only). More information will be available closer to the meeting date.

All general meetings begin with a welcome and general announcements, which precede the introduction of the guest speaker.

Members: Instructions for participation in this virtual and in-person event will be emailed to members twice – once on the Friday prior to the meeting, and again on Monday. Instructions are also available by logging into our site and checking the “members-only” version of this event.

Visitors: Guests are welcome to participate in this virtual and in-person event at a nominal fee of $5.00 Instructions for participation will be emailed to non-society members who complete the registration process prior to the event start time. Please visit our website at https://www.richmondhillgardensociety.org/event-5145849 and click on the “Register” button to begin.

About In-Person Attendance at the McConaghy Centre: 

• Doors to the auditorium open at 7 pm
• The meeting begins promptly at 7:30 pm
• Please bring a mug or cup if you would like hot coffee or tea
• All attendees are encouraged to register online for inclusion in door prize draws
• Masks are not required but are encouraged
• In-person attendees will be able to visit Flower Show entries