Anita's Iris Garden

Who is in California? Who, being iris growers, the big gardens. I have a dear friend from San Jose living elsewhere who made mention of this and since I have many friends on the West coast, I did some digging and am including a list here of iris gardens of California. I may not get them all but I’ll do my best. Listed below are those in business but may not be selling right now due to the season. There are other California gardens that have closed either temporarily or permanently and I am not including them.

Horton Iris Garden Loomis

Bee Haven Iris Gardens Coarsegold

Superstition Iris Gardens Cathey’s Valley Great doing business with him!

Bluebird Haven Iris Garden Somerset My favorite for historics

Crafton Hills Iris Farm Redlands but they are moving to Gardnerville, NV

While we let our iris rest for the summer we can make plans for visiting such gardens in the spring during their time in bloom under the California sun. Fill your days with color!

Nothing lasts forever. I received an email on the 13 from Nola’s Iris Garden. They are closing and closing for good. There are a few cultivars in my garden from them and they have/had a great selection especially with historics and Dykes. August 20 is their last day. I quickly ran through my wish list on the page, most are not available and were rarely available. These are all Dykes. But I did add to my shopping cart about 8 that I’d like to have in my garden.

Nola’s Iris Garden is located at 4195 Sierra Rd, San Jose, CA, United States, California. This is a beautiful part of California and although I’ve been through this area years past I have not ever seen the garden. Now I wish I had. There are plenty of pictures on the web though. I’ve got some iris picked out on the webpage and you can order here. There is little time left! Retirement….ah…..may you enjoy every moment of it, Gary and Nola! May your years be abundantly blessed!

It’s too hot to be in the garden July and August but we gardeners must tend to the plants that are growing, the weeds, bugs, grass. I’ll let the iris rest and will start digging and dividing end of the month in the evening. In the shade! I won’t write here until then.

There are other flowers in the Tranquility Garden. CJ gave me a couple daylilies a few years ago and I promised not to start another big collection. But I do like them and I may get one more. These are planted in The Kid’s flower bed and are beautiful. I don’t know the names of these. CJ does.

Treasures in the Garden. Photo by Courtney.

Psalm 104:24-25

24 O Lord, how manifold are Your works!
In wisdom You have made them all.
The earth is full of Your possessions—
25 This great and wide sea,
In which are innumerable teeming things,
Living things both small and great.

This morning I was talking with coworkers about iris. A few years ago I had an “open gate” opportunity for friends to stop by and see the iris. It wasn’t long after Covid so I didn’t have anyone come through the house. They just walked to the back and went through the gate. I had Bob then. And he warmly greeted everyone. I did not do that this year or last year. But seeing what needs to be done in the Tranquility Garden and having more time to complete that work, I may do that again next year, weather permitting. I may have a small garden party, a luncheon or tea time and have friends stop by.

Here are a few pictures of the garden years ago beginning with my first collection. I cherish that one.

Friday morning I cut the remaining stems from spent blooms and did some weeding in the beds. I found this, Oregon Firestorm, standing tall with a few buds so left it alone. This morning it is open. I think it probably opened yesterday but I was sheltering inside because North Texas had a terrible thunderstorm blow through breaking limbs and branches of trees, removing a roof off a Pottsboro pharmacy, and a few other toppers of buildings here and there. Fortunately we did not have any damage on our property in town. The pasture, however, will be seeing some chainsaws in the next week. At least the fences are still up. The temps have been in the 90’s also with one day, I think Tuesday, it was as hot a 100. Too hot for iris.

And here we have Oregon Firestorm. It’s a phone picture, one that I shot probably too close. It’s pretty ragged but still is pretty. Next to it only 7 inches tall is Goldkist stretching upward as if to catch up with Firestorm. We get Goldkist blooms every year and many of them. Brilliant white. Purple striations between haft edge and bright yellow gold beard.

This is probably the last iris I can share with you from this years bloom time. Now that we are getting plenty of rain, I can expect to be cleaning and weeding for the rest of the year! All the work we put in to our beds is worth it for six weeks of blooms.