The Shenandoah and Potomac Iris Society, an affiliate of the American Iris Society, is dedicated to the promotion education of the genus Iris. We also provide financial support by donations to the AIS and our Region 4 of the American Iris Society for their ongoing educational support and scientific investigations related to iris. Our society sponsors iris shows at no charge, educational programs such as judge's training, slide shows, and invited guest speakers. We also include garden treks, display gardens, and hybridizing clinics. All our activities are open to the public as well as our members and we are a non-profit organization.
Our club donated and planted a large display of irises at the State Arboretum at Blandy Farm in Boyce, Virginia. We also have educational displays and an iris show in May. Our club members get together several times a year to help identify and maintain the planting at Blandy.
We have also donated a large number of historic irises to the gardens at the Museum of the Shenandoah Valley in Winchester, Virginia and we have had garden tours for our region that included their garden along with the State Arboretum and several of our member's gardens.
Our club encourages youth members and we pay for many of their activities including their first year of membership in the American Iris Society. We also teach them to hybridize irises and help them with any cultural information. We provide information about our activities to our members in both in electronic and printed newsletters.
Our fundraising activities are sales of iris plants donated by our members. When we have our plant sale we also provide cultural information and additional educational materials to the general public concerning the genus Iris.
Members from other groups such as the 4H members, school groups, nursing home residents and Master Gardeners visit our member's gardens on scheduled visits at no charge.
| Winterberry Gardens |
Iris Hills Farm |