Monday, July 30, 2018

Photo Essay: A Visit to Schreiner's Iris Gardens

By Mike Unser

In spring of 2018 I had the good fortune to take a day to travel to Salem, Oregon and visit the amazing Schreiner's Iris Gardens. Schreiner's is one of America's longest running commercial iris gardens, first established in 1925, and is still run by the same family. They are more than just fields of irises for sale tho - their display garden is renowned for its beauty, and is a favorite destination for iris lovers around the world. The gardens are very well thought out with companion plants that help showcase the beauty of irises in a garden setting, and I spent several hours enjoying the blooms and taking photos. I hope you'll enjoy this photographic tour of the display gardens, and if you ever get to Oregon in May do not miss your chance to experience the beauty in person. It is well worth the trip.

First up - garden shots.












I normally don't like to have people in my photos but I made an exception for this gentleman. He has the enviable job of spending the day examining the flowers and deadheading the irises to make everything look as beautiful as it can for the visitors. 

A closer look at some of the irises. Varietal names are on the photos.












A closer look at some of the companion plants.
Delphinums

A blazing red geum.

Creamy pastel peonies.

I hope you enjoyed this brief tour.