by Rick Simpson

Schreiner’s Iris Gardens (https://www.schreinersgardens.com) is a commercial iris grower and hybridizer located just west of I-5 a few miles north of Salem. It’s a fourth-generation family operation, in business since 1925. They have acres of iris fields, all in bloom now (May) but their main attraction is their display garden. This is a human-scale garden with specimens of the irises that they sell, along with other flowers and greenery so that the garden isn’t a monoculture of irises only. It looks like the garden you wish you had in your own yard, but considerably larger.

The display garden is open to the public during from May 7 through May 31, when the irises are in bloom. I’ve visited it three times during the past few years to take pictures. The photos here were taken in 2013, ’15, and ’16. There was a rain shower one of those times, so some of the photos show water droplets on the flowers.

If you see something you like, you can probably buy it at their store. Some of the irises in the display garden are so new that they don’t yet have names; these are not for sale. If they make the cut, they’ll be for sale in future years.

Getting there is simple, a 41.4 mile drive. Take I-205 to I-5 south, exit 263, and local roads for about 2.5 miles to Schreiner’s entrance and parking lot. Google Maps or any GPS will get you there.

When I went, I was able to just wander in, even before they opened up for the day. I did that to take pictures in early morning light and without crowds of people. Now, with Covid-19 restrictions, you must have a ticket to get in, and the tickets have specific times. This is how they manage crowds. You must get a ticket via their website, and there is a charge of $5 for general admission (9:00am to 6:00pm), or $10 for “early bird” admission (7:00am to 9:00am).

It’s an interesting and beautiful place to visit, witness the fact that I’ve been there three times.

Some irises in bloom: