Aril & Iris Society 2025 Schedule & Show

All events held at the Albuquerque Garden Center unless specified otherwise

Interested non-members welcome; meetings are at 2 pm in Grace’s Room

April 25 – Garden Center Plant Sale -- we’ll sell potted irises, 1-5 pm only

April 27 Meeting – Preparing Your Iris for the Show; artistic design & photography division instructions

May 10 – Set Up for Show, 2-6 pm

May 11 – MOTHERS DAY IRIS SHOW – open to public 1-5 pm

June 8 Meeting – Show Awards, preparing for Region Convention

July 18-19 – Garden Center Flower Show (enter flowers, group competition)

July 20 Meeting – Final preparations for Regional Convention. Annual Drawing for NEW IRIS purchased (Members Only)

August 15 – Set up for Region 23 Iris Convention

August 16 – AIS REGION 23 CONVENTION 9 am – 5 pm – we are host

August 31 Meeting — Class on Dig, Divide, Process Your Iris

September 19 – Set Up for Iris Sale, 1-5 pm

September 20 – ANNUAL IRIS SALE – open to public 9 am - noon

October 19 Meeting – Preparing Iris Beds for Winter; Demo with our two iris beds in Garden Center gardens

October 25 – Halloween Glow ‘n Stroll (participation encouraged)

Dec 20 Holiday Party at Garden Center; members may invite one spouse/guest

OFFICERS 2025:

President Rae Phillips 505-235-5992, raecyp65@gmail.com

Vice President Candy Scott 505-200-2046, candysbridgeclub@aol.com

Treasurer Linn Furnish 505-884-6626, swimsew@comcast.net

Secretary Jody Kennedy 505-288-1511, jodykennedy21@gmail.com

Member-at-Large Eva Barry 505-350-0382, eva13barry@gmail.com

Petal Pushers Garden Club Meeting Minutes, February 25, 2025

submitted by Pam Walker

Meeting Location: The Garden Center Grace Barnes room

GUEST PRESENTER: Deirdre Kann from The National Weather Service (Retired)

Program Title: For Goodness Flake ~ The Science of Atmospherics Snow and Ice

Deidre demonstrated many aspects of how snow forms. We all the loved the graphs and photos she shared via the slide presentation.

Some of the highlights included: Snow crystals are 3 Dimensional. Snow is not only frozen water, but is made from crystals in the atmosphere that attach to water droplets as they move through the air. Humidity and temperature affect each flake. Deidre showed us how two snowflakes CAN be identical, as long as both crystals are in the exact same environment, temperature and humidity. Types of winter precipitation: sleet, freezing rain, snow and graupel (soft hail or snow pellets). Sublimation is when snow evaporates before turning to water, which is very common in our desert environment.

BUISNESS MEETING: Old and New business

The members who head up the The Linus Blanket Committee gave a demonstration of how to create our blankets. They also provided paper patterns to use as guides when cutting each corner and the fringe. You can bring in your finished blanket anytime. These blankets are given to numerous agencies for people in need from infants to seniors.

The bake sale Petal Pushers had at the rummage sale was a success! We discussed how the bake sale was set up and operated. We made a list of ideas and improvements for next year in terms of types of baked goods and packaging sizes for each item.

How Penny Pines is going to change will be decided during the Convention in April. More to come.

We discussed how the State Fair Flower Show is to be affected next year. Our flower show room has been given to the Children’s Art display because their space is now storage for ABQ’s Covid Supplies. This leaves us without a location to hold the Flower Show. A letter was drafted and shared by email asking the Governor to ask the State Fair committee to consider setting up a portable storage unit to house the Covid supplies and giving the space back to the Children for their Art Show and allowing the Flower Show to continue in its previous location.

It was agreed that we would meet the second Monday each month to do our maintenance day, starting with the Marie Torrens courtyard raised planters. This is the first impression people have as they enter the Garden Center. This month is the Center-wide clean-up day, so we will join the other clubs on this day.

Each Garden Club Group has been asked to donate 10 items for the Silent Auctions for both Conventions in April. Fortunately, we have received the needed donations.

Members were reminded to place their personal flower orders by Friday March 10th. Pre-payment for the flower orders were collected at the meeting.

We have scheduled our Spring Luncheon and volunteers will coordinate it. The menu as planned will be: salads, desserts, breads and drinks.

The May 27th Meeting is a Field Trip to the Randall Davey Audubon Center and Sanctuary in Santa Fe. Tour begins at 9:30 and then lunch in the picnic grounds. We casually discussed buying sandwiches and drinks locally.

We have a fun project for our March Meeting on the 25th.

NM Dahlia Society: Dahlia Talks

FREE TO THE PUBLIC AND ANYONE WHO LOVES DAHLIAS!