Join the Iowa Arboretum Walking Club.  We will meet every Thursday through September.  Join us for exercise plus a chance to get outside and meet new people.  If you'd like, pack a picnic lunch and stay with us for lunch outside at the picnic tables.  If it is raining, the walking club will not meet that week.

Join the Iowa Arboretum Walking Club.  We will meet every Thursday through September.  Join us for exercise plus a chance to get outside and meet new people.  If you'd like, pack a picnic lunch and stay with us for lunch outside at the picnic tables.  If it is raining, the walking club will not meet that week.

Scarecrows and submission fees of $5 per scarecrow are due by 4:00pm TODAY!  If you have any questions, contact Lesley Joplin at lesley@iowaarboretum.org or call 515-795-3216.

Join the Iowa Arboretum Walking Club.  We will meet every Thursday through September.  Join us for exercise plus a chance to get outside and meet new people.  If you'd like, pack a picnic lunch and stay with us for lunch outside at the picnic tables.  If it is raining, the walking club will not meet that week.

Show your support for the Iowa Arboretum Saturday, September 25th from 9am to noon by taking home your choice of peonies and bearded irises to add beauty to your own yard and garden next spring.Many unique and special varieties will be available for purchase. Don’t miss your chance  to bring home beauty and exciting knowledge from this great event!  Our fabulous Dottie Days discounts will return in the gift shop with up to 50% many great items.  Get your holiday shopping started early for the gardener in your life.

Sponsored in part by:
Irises Across Iowa

We are thrilled to have Kelly Norris of Rainbow Iris Farm giving a lecture on Bearded Irises in conjunction with our Iris and Peony sale.  The lecture will be held in the Hughes Educational Center at 10:00a.m. and is free to the public.

Growing Bearded Irises: This is by far Kelly’s most popular lecture.  Never tired of extolling the virtues of all things iris, Kelly’s specialty in bearded irises shines in this informative introduction to the group.  Wondering when to divide that clump of grandma’s blue flags?  Having trouble ridding your garden of those pesky borers?  Looking for just the right orange iris for the cottage border?  You’ll find answers to these and more by tuning in to this punchy and opinionated session on bearded irises.  You’ll be guaranteed to have an educated opinion about bearded irises when you’re finished.

Kelly D. Norris is a horticulturist, plant breeder, and plantsman who hails from Bedford, Iowa.  He is an award-winning author with two books to his credit including the Iowa Gardener’s Travel Guide, the first travel guide to Iowa gardens and nurseries, and a forthcoming work on the lives of passionate gardeners.  As a speaker he has garnered national acclaim for his high-energy, zealous presentations of information and personal stories that share his love and knowledge of horticulture.

He currently manages Rainbow Iris Farm, a seven-acre nursery owned by his family, co-edits the Bulletin of the American Iris Society, and serves in several leadership capacities throughout the horticulture industry.  Kelly received his B.S. in horticulture from Iowa State and currently pursues his M.S. degree at Iowa State studying rare woody plants.

More information about Kelly can be found at his website http://kellydnorris.com/

Join the Iowa Arboretum Walking Club.  We will meet every Thursday through September.  Join us for exercise plus a chance to get outside and meet new people.  If you'd like, pack a picnic lunch and stay with us for lunch outside at the picnic tables.  If it is raining, the walking club will not meet that week.