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NEWS & EVENTS

Newcomers and guests are always welcome at ISM events. Also posted here are events around the region and national events. If you have questions, please feel free to contact us.

2024

  • Saturday, February 4, starting at 10:30 - Winter Hybridizers' Meeting
    At the Rueben Hoar Public Library, 35 Shattuck St., Littleton, MA, in the Sturtz Room, starting at 10:30. All hybridizers are invited to share their creations and experiments, and all members are invited to join.

  • March 9, 11:00 AM - 4:00 PM - ISM Spring Meeting and Photo Contest
    Meeting at a NEW LOCATION: Littleton Fire Station, 20 Foster Street, Littleton MA. In anticipation of our Iris Show on Memorial Day (May 27) the afternoon program by Debby Wheeler will cover all things related to showing irises.

  • Monday, May 27 (Memorial Day) - ISM Iris Show
    At the Harvey Wheeler Community Center, 1276 Main St, Concord, MA. Entries open at 8:00 AM. Free and open to the public at 1:00 PM. The show schedule is available here. Watch your email for additional details.

  • Saturday, June 1 - ISM Garden Tours
    We will start at Stephanie Markham's Toadland Gardens, 22 Lawrence St., Norfolk, MA 02056 at 10:00 AM. Any time after 12:00 noon, we will go to Jan Sacks' and Marty Schafer's Joe Pye Weed's Gardens, 337 Acton St, Carlisle, MA 01741. There will be Judges' Training offered in Marty's and Jan's gardens, starting at 2:00 PM (topic TBD depending on what's blooming).

  • Saturday, June 8 - Region 1 Open Gardens and Judges' Training
    All members of Region 1, ISM, MIS, and CIS are invited to the Open Gardens for Region 1, sponsored by the Maine Iris Society. The open gardens will Harriet Robinson’s, in Otisfield, ME and Pauline Grenier’s, in Minot, ME. Judges training will be available at both locations.10:00 AM:  Harriet Robinson’s Little Pond Farm, 107 Bow St, Otisfield, ME 04270. Judges training will start at 10:15 AM; Harriet will focus will be on judging historic irises (30 or more years old). 11:30 AM: Pauline Grenier’s Grenier Gardens, 18 N Verrill Rd, Minot, ME 04258. Bring a picnic lunch and a lawn chair to eat at Pauline’s. Judges training by Paul Dostie begins at 1:30 and will cover selecting iris stalks for shows and grooming. He will also tell us about the new single blossom section in the Horticulture division.

  • August 4 - Noon-4:00 PM - ISM Auction
    Members auction of newer irises (and other things), outdoors, under a canopy at Toadland Gardens (home of Stephanie Markham & Larry Wilson), 22 Lawrence Street, Norfolk, MA 02056. Lunch and socializing at noon, auction starts at 1:00 PM. BYO chair and lunch, drinks and snacks will be available.

  • Saturday, October 5 - 10:00 AM - 4:00 PM - AIS Region 1 Annual Fall Meeting
    This meeting is sponsored by the Maine Iris Society. It will be held at the United Methodist Church, 439 Park Ave., Auburn ME. Our speaker will be Liz Schreiner Schmidt from Schreiners' Iris Gardens in Salem, OR. She will present "Schreiner’s Gardens: A Walk Back in Time and Looking to the Future!". This meeting will also include our fundraiser for Region 1, an auction of iris and plant treasures.

  • Saturday, November 16 - 11:00 AM - 4:00 PM - ISM Fall Meeting
    Littleton Fire Station, 20 Foster Street, Littleton MA. We will have our seed/plant swap. The afternoon program will be on Iris Conventions. Barbara and Alan McWhirter attended the 2024 2024 AIS/Japanese National Iris Convention in Portland OR this spring, and will share their experiences at this event. In addition, Jan Sacks will share tidbits about upcoming conventions, including the AIS National conventions in 2025 (Billings, MT) and 2026 (NY/NJ) and the 2025 Siberian convention in Iowa. Bring a bag lunch for yourself and goodies to share; coffee, tea and water will be provided.

DIRECTIONS to the Littleton Fire Station, 20 Foster Street, Littleton, MA

The Fire Station is located at 20 Foster St., Littleton, MA. It is quite close to Interstate 495. Parking is in the back of the station; you will need to walk around to the front. There are no stairs.

  • FROM I-495:

    From the South - take I-495 North to Exit 79 (MA-110 and MA-2A). Keep right at the fork, follow signs for Littleton Ctr. and merge onto MA-110 E/MA-2A E which is King St. In 0.3 miles, turn right onto Rogers St. Continue about 300 feet and merge right onto Foster St. The Fire Station will be on your left. Turn left into the Parking entrance and park behind the Fire Station.

    From the North - take I-495 to Exit 80 (MA-119/Littleton Center). At the end of the ramp turn right on MA 119 and continue to the traffic light at Littleton Common. At the traffic light turn right onto MA 110 and MA 2A which is King St. Continue on King St. for 0.8 miles. Turn left on Rogers St. Continue about 300 feet and merge right onto Foster St. The Fire Station will be on your left. Turn left into the Parking entrance and park behind the Fire Station.

  • From the East:

    You can take Route 2 West to Route 495 North and follow the first directions above.

    You can also take Route 2 to the Concord Rotary and take Route 119/2A all the way to Littleton Common. When you get to the light at Littleton Common, turn Left on Route 110/2A which is also King St. Continue on King St. for 0.8 miles. Turn left on Rogers St. Continue about 300 feet and merge right onto Foster St. The Fire Station will be on your left. Turn left into the Parking entrance and park behind the Fire Station.

(click on map to go to Google Maps)

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