Iris Gardens at Presby Memorial

My mother and I love to visit different gardens, so this spring, we are trying visit as many as we can! Yesterday, we decided to go to the Presby Memorial Iris Gardens in Montclair, and my dear friend was also able to tag along. Luckily, we visited at the right time since the gardens will be closing today, and the irises have already reached their peak bloom. It was delightful to see so many beds of irises (there are over 25!) in beautiful colors. The public gardens hold over 14,000 irises with more than 1,500 varieties, so it’s no wonder that they call it “The Rainbow on the Hill.”

Photo credit to my friend, Isabell (@dandelionsbreaths on Instagram!)

If I had to choose my favorite iris color, it would definitely be the dark shade of purple.

For some background information on irises, they are perennial herbs that are native to North Temperate regions and can grow in water and on land. They have 6 petals with three that stand up and three that fall backwards. They mostly bloom in colors of pink, purple, yellow, orange, and white. The word “iris” in Greek means “rainbow,” and can symbolize faith, wisdom, peace of mind, friendship, and hope.

Found some irises that matched my shirt!

The things that look like caterpillars are called "beards," hence the name, "Tall Bearded Irises." My mom thinks they look more like feathers!

This year, the Presby Memorial Iris Gardens are celebrating their 90th year of May bloom! Back in 1927, the gardens were established to honor Frank H. Presby who lived in Montclair. He was very dedicated in improving Montclair’s parks and recreational facilities, and helped to found the American Iris Society, so the iris gardens were chosen to memorialize his life. Come next spring, I look forward to paying another visit to see the copious irises bloom again!

Have you visited any gardens this spring? I would love to read your reviews! 

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