Montclair’s Upper Mountain Avenue hosts an oasis of floral beauty: Presby Memorial Iris Gardens are an inspiring tribute to this perennial flower’s grace and beauty, featuring 14,000 irises across 3,000 varieties and 100,000 blooms every season. Blooming season runs from mid-May to June and draws visitors from all around the globe; acting as both an educational resource on cultivation practices as well as its history.
The gardens were established as a memorial to Frank Presby, an influential community leader from Montclair who established the American Iris Society. His descendants donated the rhizomes that now form one of the largest collections of iris in America – each plant in this collection bearing its name, hybridizer and year of registration with AIS.
Garden of Irises, listed on the National Register of Historic Places, is managed and funded solely through donations by volunteers and is self-funding through donations. Irises grown without pesticides thrive here as do heirloom varieties that have endured for centuries as well as remontant varieties which bloom again late summer.
Apart from iris beds, other flowering plants such as roses and lilies add color to the gardens. Furthermore, there is an expansive gift shop called the Bloom Room that sells items related to irises – open Tuesday-Sunday during bloom season.
In addition to an iris collection, the gardens house an apiary with seven beehives and host many events throughout the year, such as workshops on growing irises and lectures on horticulture; plus tours for both the general public and school children.
If you’re planning to plant irises, find a location with at least half a day of direct sunlight and good drainage. When planting the rhizomes at or just barely below the soil’s surface, tamp the bed down tightly so they stay put while new roots form beneath it. Water regularly and keep weeds at bay as much as possible while regularly dividing and replanting to prevent overcrowding.
Location: Upper Mountain Avenue at Windsor Place The gardens can easily be reached by car; there is both a small parking lot and plenty of street parking on both sides of the road.
Visit the gardens’ website for an in-depth list of each bed, history of the garden and pictures of featured irises. It features 26 iris beds and four fence beds devoted exclusively to these stunning flowers. Irises are easy to grow, making them suitable for almost any environment with proper conditions; great for cutting, rock gardens and border beds as well as containers. Rhizomes of these hardy perennials can be purchased locally nurseries or garden centers when dormant. To start growing iris in containers: plant them between July and August when dormant; when dormant; when planting your irises will thrive and flourish in containers as well. To get them going fast: plant their rhizomes (rhizomes will still be dormant) into containers in order to have full bloom in containers by August or earlier – local nurseries/garden center may carry this year rhizomes are dormant; nursery/garden centers will likely sell you this year’s crop!
