It makes sense that Kelly Norris, a guy who dons wood bowties as a fashion statement, would write a book named “Plants with Style.” Published by Timber Press late in 2015, Norris’ book is not our grandmother’s garden book.
First, there’s his rich, descriptive writing: “Snowdrops (Galanthus) are among the earliest hits of spring, verdant notes from a dormant score” in the chapter Drops, Driblets, Spots and Specks.
The book is organized seasonally and populated with wow photos and wow plants you’ve probably never heard of, such as ‘Ginger Twist’ and ‘Pomegranate Punch’ Siberian iris, or ‘Purple Perversion’ (Plantago major), a frilly leaf plantain developed by plantsman Joseph Tychonievich in Michigan.
A self-proclaimed plant geek, Norris, 28, was about 10 years old and thrilled when his grandmother, who had a large iris garden, stopped at a small nursery in Nebraska. He remembers the nurseryman digging irises from the beds, wrapping them in paper and later, sitting at the man’s kitchen table talking about plants.
Perhaps it’s genetic, because at 15, he convinced his parents to buy Rainbow Iris Farm in Bedford, in southwest Iowa. His exuberance and knowledge about plants has garnered him the Young Professional Award from the Perennial Plant Association and the Iowa Author Award for Special Interest Writing. In 2009, Norris was the youngest person to receive the Presidential Citation, Award of Merit and Honor Award in the 150-year history of the Iowa State Horticultural Society. Last year, he received a much sought after Scholar Award from Chanticleer Foundation, in recognition of his work as director of horticulture at the Greater Des Moines Botanical Garden.
Like several of his other books, “Plants with Style: A Plantsman’s Choices for a Vibrant, 21st Century Garden” was inspired by a presentation Norris gives. The goal, the Iowa native said in an interview, is to inspire anyone interested in gardening to appreciate plants for their beauty and to offer new ways to use them in the landscape.
We’ll get to hear Norris soon. He will present two programs: Perennial Foliage and Perennials Flowers at the horticultural symposium Color in the Garden: Bloom and Beyond at the Indianapolis Museum of Art, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Feb. 20 in the Toby. Other speakers are Irvin Etienne, horticulture display coordinator at the IMA; Troy Marden, author and garden designer from Tennessee; and Scott Beuerlein, horticulturist at the Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Garden. Register by Feb. 1 and save $10 on the $110 fee.