Trails End Iris Gardens, Ontario, Canada


 
Welcome

Come and visit our gardens!! A beautiful bloom has started and for the next 3 or 4 weeks, there will be all kinds of new varieties and dazzling colours to view. If you are in the area, don't miss it. It's well worth the trip.

Trails End Iris Gardens and Nursery is in Ontario, Canada, zone 5b. Ann and I (Bob) hope that you enjoy our site. You will be able to find Irises by name or you can search by colours or type. We try to make it as friendly a visit as possible. Our focus is on customer service and quality stock. As a result, we have many happy customers and gardening friends.
 


"I must say I was impressed with the size, quality and freshness of the rhizomes. You exceeded my expectations. You have been a pleasure to do business with and I will definitely become a repeat customer. My only problem will be finding places for all the wonderful varieties you have available. Thanks again," G. R., Westport, Ontario

 

At Trails End Iris Gardens we offer:

       475 Iris varieties including 96 new listings
     Iris collections at discount pricing
     Re-Blooming (Fall flowering) irises
     Newer varieties including 2010, 2011 and 2012 introductions
     Reserve ordering for 2014
     Gift certificates for all occasions. Simply E-mail or call us
     Available as respected guest Speakers for Horticultural groups
     Open Gardens and Bus Tours in May and June
     Potted irises available for Spring plantings
 

Looking for a garden to visit this year? For those of you in Southern Ontario and the Golden Horseshoe, you will not be disappointed with an outing to Trails End Iris Gardens. To make it easier, we will be open EVERY FRIDAY THRU MONDAY during the peak bloom period from Friday, May 17th to Monday, June 18th. We have developed perennial beds showcasing the Irises among companion plantings of peonies, ornamental grasses, shrubs, trees and various rockery plants. There are approximately 6000 Iris plants comprised of almost 600 varieties; most of them blooming in the gardens or in the production beds. Visitors can enjoy easy access to the gardens across lawns or enjoy the view from a shaded bench. For customers wishing to purchase potted Irises, there is a limited selection available to take home on the day of your visit.

A little background about us. We have been growing award winning Bearded Irises for 11 years on our 10 acre property in south-central Ontario, Canada between Brantford and Hamilton in Canadian hardiness Zone 5b. We are both Directors of the Canadian Iris Society and accredited Iris judges for the American Iris Society. We are also well - respected speakers for Horticultural groups including the Royal Botanical Gardens and at Canada Blooms.

We take pride in offering only the highest quality rhizomes, grown with loving care. We dig our plants by hand paying particular attention to accuracy and quality; then carefully identify and clean each rhizome. We place a premium on customer service which is reflected in the positive comments re receive. We always include BONUS irises depending on the size of the order. Look forward to a surprise or two or three.

We ship bare-root irises across Canada in late July for early, harsher winter locations and in mid-August for more moderate climates. Of course, the rhizome size is somewhat determined by the digging date. It's always a tradeoff; later digging means bigger rhizomes but then they don't have as long to settle in before winter freeze-up. A thick covering of mulch applied after freeze-up is important for first year plantings.

We are pleased to present many new offerings for 2013 including 2012, 2011 and 2010 introductions from many of the top hybridizers in North America. Of course we are testing their ability to get through our Canadian winters and progress throughout the spring. We are also making available many other varieties that have proven to grow well in our climate.

Although we try to maintain a good inventory, there is always the possibility of some irises becoming SOLD OUT. In particular, the newest varieties will be in short supply for a couple of years until we build up stock. Some of these are marked "Available in 2014". You can avoid being disappointed by placing a reserve order in 2013. Simply reserve your selections for next year by placing an order with a $10.00 deposit per variety. Your order will placed in sequence by date received.

TRAILS END IRIS COLLECTIONS: This year we are offering many more collections of some of our best growers at great discounts off the catalogue prices. This is a great way to start or add to your Iris garden.

Re-Bloomers continue to be very popular and we are consistently testing for varieties that will re-bloom in our area. Although advertised in some catalogues as re-bloomers, the truth is that while they may re-bloom in the more southern states, that does not ensure that they will re-bloom in Canada due to our shorter growing season. We are continuing to add to a list of those that have re-bloomed for us in south-central Ontario.

Gift Certificates are also available which we can send to you or directly to the recipient on your behalf. Simply e-mail us or call us at (519) 647-9746.

Hours of Operation - 2013 Varieties in Bloom
Early Bloom Period May 3rd thru May 16th
By appointment: (519) 647-9746
Miniature Dwarf and Standard Dwarf Bearded
Peak Bloom Period

Fridays, Saturdays,
Sundays and Mondays

May 17th thru June 17th

9:00am to 5:00pm
Late Standard Dwarf, Intermediates, Miniature Tall Bearded, Border Bearded, Tall Bearded (Early, Mid & Late season)
Late Bloom Period June 18th thru June 30th
By appointment: (519) 647-9746
Late and Very Late Tall Bearded

If you have any questions, feel free to e-mail us. Bob tries to answer our e-mails daily. If you wish, you can telephone us at (519) 647-9746. If we are unavailable, please leave a message and we will return your call as soon as possible.

Hoping to hear from you soon,
Bob and Ann