Saturday, November 22, 2003 - Specially scheduled meeting in the Community Room of the Poughkeepsie Galleria.  The room is located behind the Food Court on the second floor at the south end of the Mall.  Our guest speakers will be nationally known Iris Hybridizers, Brad and Kathy Kasperek.  These very entertaining speakers will give a presentation on their specialty:

"The Development of Broken Color Iris and Variegated Foliage"

The Kasperek's or the owner's of Zebra Gardens in Edmonton, Utah.  Brad does most of the hybridizing and garden work with the enterprise, while his wife Kathy takes care of the books. Their specialty is broken color iris.  This color pattern typically involves "... random streaking and splashing of assorted colors" on to the petals of an iris, especially the falls.  This gives the flower a very striking appearance as if it had been overpainted with bands of colors.  Many of their irises have won garden medals and are easily identified by their whimsical names, which often reference Africa, such as BABOON BOTTOM, SERENGETI SPAGHETTI, SPICED TIGER and TANZANIAN TANGERINE.

Not just content with changing the color patterns of the iris itself, the Kasperek's have also worked to develop plants with pronounced variegation in the foliage itself.   

The formal program will begin at 2:00 PM.  It will be preceded by refreshments, socializing and a short business meeting beginning at 1:30 PM.  For those, who cannot make the program on Saturday, the Kasperek's will be speaking on the same subject at the Capital Hudson Iris Society meeting in the Albany Area on the following afternoon.

All HVIDS activities are open to the general public.  Please join us.