A visit to the Iris Farm

Tuesday night a storm blew in. Wednesday we awoke to a wet, drizzly day not-so-perfect for a toddler who likes to play outside all day. And being cooped up in the house is not an option when that leads to his tiny, inquisitive hands finding scissors, glue, my crafting supplies, and (most recently) bottles of anti-air sickness medicine his father forgot to store in a safe place.

I remembered an ad I recently read for an iris farm nearby that stated the flowers were blooming. I LOVE irisis. They're hands-down my favorite flowers and one can never have enough in the garden. So we called ahead, hopped in the car, and went to find the iris garden.

After a long drive through the country, we pulled up into the driveway. Along the green hillsides we could see horses and a few sheep eating fresh spring grass. An older woman named Kate greeted us at the door and welcomed us to her flower haven with sprawling raised beds all over the property. The only clue to her exact age was a reference she made about a great granddaughter who has since grown.

Maddox was delighted when Kate walked us to a golf cart and chauffered us around the property to look at flowers and give us detailed descriptions of each variety. They were beautiful. Some were deep yellows, purples, and burgundy with large blooms that sparkled in the dampness. Others were multi-colored with purple or yellow blooms and white beards. A few were exotic like an orchid with speckled insides and fancy ripples.

As we made our way to the last row, the weather turned colder and the rain fell is a heavy mist. We decided to just take one variety and come back on a better day.

Kate dug in the muddy earth as I tried to shelter my little one from the rain. We raced back to the car, promising to return soon and Kate waved us goodbye.

Here's a picture of my new prize happily transplated back at home. Flowers have a way of making any rainy day a little brighter.