How to grow irises in Oregon: Willamette Valley’s experts share the luck of the iris
Posted May 07, 7:02 AM
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Dennis: A chance encounter way back in 1920 eventually led to the Willamette Valley becoming home to one of the top commercial growers in the U.S. of the plant sometimes referred to as “the poor man’s orchid.”
Some might call it a coincidence. Others synchronicity. I like to think of it instead as the luck of the iris.
Because, as a result of that chance meeting between F.X. Schreiner and John C. Wister, who had recently become president of the fledgling American Iris Society, and a subsequent move from Minnesota two decades later, Schreiner’s Iris Gardens has been thriving in Salem since 1947.
Salem is a garden paradise in spring: 13 gardens you can visit this season
Today 7:30 AM
Tulips bloom outside the Bush House at Bush s Pasture Park in Salem. Jamie Hale/The Oregonian
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Exploring the Salem area in spring feels a little like landing in Oz.
The city comes alive with color in the springtime, as flowers pop up in public parks, formal gardens, and at nurseries and farms around the area. It’s enough to make Salem not only Oregon’s state capital, but the garden capital of Oregon as well.
Expand your vision from Salem proper to include the nearby towns of Silverton, Monmouth, Brooks and Dallas, and you have a veritable Garden of Eden at the heart of the Willamette Valley. What is it about the area that’s so good for gardens?
Novice herb gardener seeks direction: Ask an expert
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Today 7:30 AM
Thinking of planting cilantro, chives, oregano, basil, and rosemary? Check out these tips. Oregonian file photo. The Oregonian/OregonLive Staff
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The gardening season has started, and you’ve got questions. Turn to Ask an Expert, an online question-and-answer tool from Oregon State University’s Extension Service. OSU Extension faculty and Master Gardeners reply to queries within two business days, usually less. To ask a question, simply go to the and type it in, and include the county where you live. Here are some questions asked by other gardeners. What’s yours?
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