If you grew up reading fairy tales, you’ll likely recognize the town of Bremen and remember a tale by the Brothers Grimm about an aging rag-taggle band of animal “musicians” who escape abuse from their owners to form a band.
In fact, one of the town’s most photographed landmarks (located by the town hall) is of the musicians. But Bremen is famous for much more than children’s lore—it also has unusual architecture, many museums, a UNESCO World Heritage town hall built in 1410 and best of all, magnificent gardens. It is these that will be featured in the March meeting of the North Island Rhododendron Society (NIRS) Tuesday, March 10.
Former NIRS president Judi Murakami will present a talk and images from her recent visit to Bremen where she attended the annual American Rhododendron Society meeting. One of the highlights on her tour was the huge 46-hectare rhododendron and azalea garden with more than 2,000 varieties of plants including alpine, medicinal and endangered species. Within the rhodo garden, there’s also Botanika, an indoor collection featuring delicate species and an exotic butterfly house.
NIRS meetings are held the second Tuesday of the month at the United Church in Comox, 250 Beach Street, with doors opening at 7 p.m. and meeting starting at 7:30. Guests interested in membership are welcome to attend.