No better way to spend a day and welcome Spring than strolling through Schreiner's Iris Garden! My absolute favorite garden! It is evident that this lovely garden is meticulously cared for with love. There are easy grass walking paths with bright colorful benches everywhere inviting you to wander and sit, taking in all of nature's beauty.
There are show-stopping and prize winning Iris of every imaginable color! Pale peach, deep orange, midnight black, the palest blue, whisper yellow, royal purple, bright yellow, lavender, white and more. The "beards" come in just as many colors! The iris are nestled amongst other beautiful flowers like the tall lupine, vibrant peonies the size of dinner plates, huge clematis growing on trellises, bright California poppy and so much more. It's truly a slice of paradise.
The grounds are well maintained and they transport you to a different place. Old trees stand proud around the perimeter, their huge branches providing glorious shade over the picnic area where there are several clean, white picnic tables, Adirondack chairs and benches. Perfect spot for a picnic, looking over the garden.
The day I went was cloudy and misty, but the garden was still spectacular, drops of rain clinging to the iris petals. A group of 12 met there, each bringing items to contribute to lunch. After wandering through the garden, and for me, snapping lots of pictures, we enjoyed a long and leisurely lunch of delicious food and good conversation. The owners came out and joined us as friends of mine know them. They are lovely and truly have a passion for what they do.
For those that want to buy bulbs for their own garden, there is an entire area where Iris are displayed under a tent, each marked with their name and year, so you can select bulbs to plant in your garden. Next to this area are cut stems to make bouquets. Stems are a $1 a piece or $8 for a dozen. Get a dozen! Each stem is tall, sturdy, and has five blooms! The bouquet lasts 7-10 days and the colors are amazing.
Make sure to visit the gift shop where they sell lots of items for the garden lover, many in an iris palette. There was a green umbrella covered in blue and purple iris that opened up in reverse, so you can shut it without getting rain in the car. It looks like a Van Gogh painting. I bought two! One for me, one for a friend.
Across the street are acres and acres of colorful iris that are grown for commercial sale. Check it out just to take in the vision of color in mass!
The cost for admission is a mere $5 per car, not per person as some other farms charge, per car. What a bargain! For the price of a cup of coffee you can spend a leisurely day enjoying so much beauty.
In May there are several festivals, according to their website, during Mother's Day and Memorial Day weekends. While I enjoyed a mid week visit when it was not crowded, I will probably go back over Memorial Day since there will be local crafters, nestled in the garden, selling their treasures.
Schreiner's Iris Garden is the prettiest of all the gardens that I have visited, and I have seen lots! I can not say enough about this place! If you enjoy flowers, if you love gardens, if you enjoy a picnic amongst a gorgeous setting, go to Schreiner's!
I'm so grateful that friends invited me to their annual picnic and now it will become a yearly tradition for me. I am already planning on going back again next week with other friends, on a sunny day, so I can take pics of the iris against a bright blue sky. There is a peony farm just 2 miles down the road and we will visit that garden as well.
Who knew that just 45 minutes from Portland was a slice of Heaven?! read more