News and Current Events
November
through May GRPS meets indoors where meetings may have a speaker, a
demonstration, or member driven event, like our "Tips and Tools"
pictured above. Feel free to read and download our "Tips &
Tools" sheet by clicking here.
We strive to have fun while learning more about perennials
and garden design. June through
September "meetings" are our member tours of private and public
gardens. We would love to invite the world, but only members are allowed
on these tours. Should you want to be part of the fun, consider joining
the Greater Rochester Perennial Society. A form can be found here.
Download a membership
form here to print and mail.
The Don Lowry Garden, located on the grounds of the Rochester Museum
and Science Center is a collaborative effort among the many groups
for which Don Lowry was an active member. Dedicated during the summer of
2011, the garden is open to the public and free for you to visit.
Newsletters, which contain more detailed information, are a privilege of
membership and are mailed by post or email to our members. Should you wish
to become a member, you can download a membership form.
Membership starts in January with Individual
membership is $15.00 and household membership is $25.00. If you get your
dues in by
February 1, you can be included in our GRPS 2012 Directory. Membership
form is linked here.
History of the Greater Rochester
Perennial Society
Founded in 1997 by Don
and Donna Lowry, the GRPS developed as an off shoot of the
Master Gardener program of the Cornell Cooperative Extension in Rochester,
New York. The Society was formed out of the
desire to share gardening knowledge with other like gardeners, focusing on
the planting and growing of perennials. For the first 9 years, Don Lowry served as the president
and Jerry Kral was asked to be Vice President. Jerry held that position
until 2006, when he became President of the Society. The GRPS has
grown to encompass
gardeners from surrounding counties in the upstate New York region.
There have been many special trips throughout the
years; Borglum's Iris, Eagle Bay Nursery, Tobeytown Nursery, Canada's
Royal Botanical Gardens, Niagara Falls Conservatory, Sara's Garden
Center and Springdale Farms. For several years, Society members
have taken an annual trip to help work in the gardens and support the
revitalization of Linwood Tree Peony Garden. Each year brings new trips
and a broader network of gardeners.
The GRPS has had an active supporting role in the Cornell Cooperative
Extension through donations for Programs and Gardenscape displays, as well
as in their lab helping with needed equipment and reference materials. We are
grateful for to the CCE for lending their Auditorium as a meeting place.
We are pleased to be part of our sister societies, the Hosta Society and Iris
Society.
Today the GRPS sees its growth
with a membership of over 120 perennial gardeners. The Greater Rochester
Perennial Society continues to develop and expand
with programs, lectures, tours and sales that encourage and promote
perennial gardening in Rochester, New York and the surrounding
communities.
April
2012 marks our 15th anniversary.
