This is also the time when the irises come to life, showing their glorious colour and form.
Firstly we are supporting the Multiple Sclerosis Society in Timaru through having a stall at the Caroline Bay Hall on October 11.
This is part of their garden and fashion parade .
After that we will be gathering more irises for sale and display for our talk by Clint Callens, a Belgian plantsman who is the international guest this year for the Steve Newall Memorial Fund.
Through this fund we are privileged to hear international speakers.
Clint and his family run a nursery in Belgium specialising in shade-loving plants like trilliums, arisaema, podophyllum.
He has travelled the world searching for plants and his talk in Timaru at the ECO Centre in Redruth St will be on Saturday, November 8, at 1.30pm with the hall open from 1pm for plant sales and an iris display.
Also he will be speaking in Oamaru on November 10, at 6.15pm, 17 College St, entries are $5.
These will be on Saturdays from 1pm-4pm from October 18 till about November 29, except November 8. There you will be able to see the many irises flowering and maybe order some tubers for your garden.
We held our monthly competition, showed some irises flowering, bought from the sales table.
After lunch we visited two gardens, firstly to Alison Simpson’s (life member of NZ Iris Society) who has grown miniature dwarf bearded irises for many years.
Alison has developed her section with maturing trees plus treasures after retiring from the farm.
Next we went to see Leslie McIntosh, who also is a retired farmer now, on three-quarters of an acre — there were mature trees with treasures all around.
Leslie had a lovely bowl of lachenalia which she told us had got a first at the local flower show.
If you would like to hear Clint Callens in Timaru, please ph Lynda Crossen ph 027 600-0107 to book — this helps with catering. — Heather Sell
