A symbol of enduring faith and hope, the Iris, (Iris), known for its slender tall stalks, both soft and vibrant colors and its delicate, cascading, and rising petals has been growing at Blandy Experimental Farm since at least the 1950s. But early this May, the bearded iris cultivars in this legacy collection and additional varieties will unveil their spring beauty more fervently in the backdrop of the newly renovated Walter Flory Memorial Iris Garden. Supported by the Stanley Smith Horticultural Trust grant, the University of Virginia Arboretum and Landscape Committee, and Foundation of the State Arboretum, this two-year garden renovation project focused on expanding, defining, and enhancing access to the arboretum’s visitors-favorite Iris collection.
Design improvements, like a low stone curb wall, now help define planting beds and raise irises higher for better viewing. Widened and compacted stone dust paths increase the garden’s accessibility for less mobile visitors and allow viewers to pause and observe up-close the different blooms. Interpretive signage and a seating area compliment the beautiful garden setting that presents the Irises grouped by classification. Flowering shrub borders and companion perennials, including many native cultivars will add interest to the garden when the Irises are outside of their early May blooming and October re-blooming seasons. Additional iris species will be added this spring.
The newly designed Garden also now serves as a natural bridge from the Pollination Garden to the Native Plant Trail and added observation bench allows visitors to enjoy the Iris Garden as well as more distant views southward out across the nearby valley meadow.
While the Walter Flory Memorial Iris Garden, named for the very first curator of the Arboretum, has been moved, expanded and tended over the years, this new renovation will ensure it remains a visitor favorite and educational highpoint. “Our vision for this newly renovated garden is to offer our visitors a beautiful setting to appreciate these flowers and also demonstrate how irises can be grown in their own home or community landscapes,” says Carrie Whitacre, Assistant Curator, Herbaceous Gardens.
Stop by in May and enjoy the varieties of Irises in bloom at Blandy!