2025 Region 9 Fall Activity and Meeting
Friday and Saturday August 22 and 23, 2025
Hampton Inn Southwest, 2300 Chuckwagon Dr, Springfield, IL
Schedule
Friday, August 22, 2025
Hampton Inn & Suites Southwest, 2300 Wagon Wheel Drive, Springfield, IL
(Click Here for Google Map Directions)
NOTE: A block of rooms has been put on hold for the group until July 23, 2025.
For Hotel Reservations: Call 217-793-7670 - Rate: $141.00 Plus Tax - Mention AIS Region 9
6:00 PM
PRESENTATION - With 2 Sessions:
Session 1: Species Irises
Break
Session 2: Exhibition Judging of Beardless Iris
(Please RSVP for Education Sessions - See Below)
Saturday, August 23, 2025
Washington Park Botanical Garden, 1501 South Grand Avenue West, Springfield, IL 62704
(Click Here for Google Map Directions)
9:00 AM - 12 Noon
Public Iris Sale
12:30 PM
Lunch ($6.00)
(Please RSVP for Lunch Registration- See Below)
2:00 PM
Short Business Meeting
PLESE RSVP for EDUCATION SESSIONS and LUNCH
Include Your Name, Email Address, and Phone Number
Please respond via email to Margaret Kelly
irislady2016@gmail.com or Leave Message at 309-347-8561
Fees will be collected at the event
Our Guest Speaker
Judy Nolin
Past President of the American Society
Originally from New England, Jody has lived all over the country including working in 10 different state capitals. She and her husband David Saxby finally bought acreage and built their retirement home in rural Logan County, Ohio. This has given them way too much space to deal with.
She moved her city collection to the country as soon as the weeds were eliminated. With so much space, she went over-board on Tall Bearded iris, growing over 800 cultivars. Eventually realizing that they were more work than she could handle, she began moving into beardless and species iris. Now, she has around 400 well-mulched beardless and species cultivars (plus a smattering of TBs and median bearded). Lots of Louisiana, pseudata, Siberian, Japanese, spuria, species, and even bulbous provide bloom from March through July. She is particularly interested in integrating iris into perennial beds.
Like many people, her collection began with a visit to the local club sale and membership in the club. Soon, she was attending Regional meetings and became the Regional newsletter editor. After that, there was no saying ‘no’ to other ‘opportunities’. She has been RVP, AIS President, Secretary of SIGNA, and is currently President of the Society for Japanese Irises, AIS Affiliate Chair, Secretary of the Novelty Iris Society and Regional Judges Chair.
She is a member of numerous Sections and tries growing any iris that will tolerate the weather and soil in Ohio. Her pond-side garden is also home to several cultivars in the Louisiana Iris Species Preservation Project.
