Prior to the Town of Ancaster’s Bicentennial in 1993, my husband, David Waddell, then-president of the Ancaster Horticultural Society, was eager to provide something occasion. He learned from then-Mayor Robert E. Wade that the town council had adopted the wild blue iris in 1978 as the official flower of the Town of Ancaster. As depicted on its letterhead, the bearded iris is the floral emblem of the Ancaster Horticultural Society. It was David’s idea to name a new variety of tall bearded iris as the Society’s Bicentennial project. He found a seedling worthy of registration, and was most grateful to the hybridizer (Jim McMillen) for his permission to name the new variety.

The next step was to solicit possible names for the iris from Ancaster residents. An advertisement was placed in the Ancaster News, including a photo and ballot, and over 80 names were proposed. The board of directors of the Ancaster Horticultural Society functioned as a selection committee to peruse all the ballots. “Ancaster Blue Ruffle” was selected as the name of Ancaster’s new Bicentennial iris.

Audrey McInerney, Ancaster resident, submitted the winning entry, and the society presented her with a winner’s cheque of $50 and a corm of the new iris. Ultimately, Ancaster Blue Ruffle iris was registered with the Canadian Iris Society.

Finally, David presented Mayor Bob with a beautiful framed portrait of the Ancaster Blue Ruffle iris, to be hung in the town hall. This photo is now preserved in storage at the Fieldcote Memorial Park and Museum along with other art works.

A depiction of this iris is incorporated into the society's logo, and also appears on letterhead and even aprons used for the plant sale. The iris is described as follows: ruffled frosted blue standards, darker middle fading to near white edges, deep blue-violet falls, frosted light blue edge, and yellow beards. This beautiful specimen flourishes annually during the first part of June in the Fieldcote gardens near the edge of the parking lot.

The Ancaster Horticultural Society provides Ancaster Blue Ruffle iris corms to some of its awards recipients, and it sold corms of this iris during its annual Plant and Bake Sale in May.