The public is invited to a free event tomorrow night in Jefferson about the recently renovated Greater Des Moines Botanical Garden.

The Greene County Master Gardeners are sponsoring the event which features the first horticulture manager of the facility in Des Moines with Kelly D. Norris as the evening’s speaker.

Greene County ISU Extension Coordinator Michael Cooley says Norris was instrumental in revitalizing the 14-acre botanical garden facility and will be talking about that project and plants in general.

He describes some of the accolades that Norris has received before the age of 30.

“He’s (Norris) is the youngest person ever to receive the Iowa State Horticultural Society’s three major awards which are the Presidential Citation, Award of Merit and the Honor Award.  So in the last 150 years of that society’s existence, he’s the youngest person to already obtaining all three of those major awards.”

Cooley adds that Norris also wrote a bestselling book entitled “A Guide to Bearded Irises: Cultivating the Rainbow for Beginners and Enthusiasts”.

The presentation will be at the Trinity Lutheran Church in Jefferson on Tuesday, April 29th at 6:30pm.  After the initial presentation, Norris will be available for questions from the public.

No pre-registration is required for the free event.