Irises come in many beautiful colors, top photos. Above, a visitor chats with Horton Iris Garden founder Mary Ann Horton. At right, Nancy Crocker, Stacey Vreeken, Jenny Duffy and Jill Morris enjoy exploring the garden on a sunny day.
Sharing the beauty The family doesn’t keep track of how many visitors come through each year, but Mary Ann says the parking lot, which can hold about 120 cars, is full, with cars coming and going many weekends, especially around Mother’s Day. “A lot of people come to see the irises but not necessarily to buy,” she said. Nevertheless, sales were up about 50 percent last season, which she attributed to enhancedmarketing efforts and more people seeking outdoor activities during the pandemic. Horton Iris Garden is one of a handful of iris gardens still open inCalifornia. More have failed than succeeded. Mary Ann attributes her success to customer service and to being organized. “An iris farm is not something you do to make a lot of money,” she said. “It’s hard work but it’s fun. We are very organized, organized chaos I call it, but organized.” Many visitors ask which iris is her favorite. While there are a few irises she especially loves, she says she can’t pick just one. “My favorite is usually the one I’m looking at as we walk through the garden,” she said. “Ask me again as we walk a little farther and I’ ll have another favorite. I used to tell people I could f ind a new favorite every 10 feet, but now I say I can only walk about 4 feet before finding another favorite.”
Saving Farms Saving Profits Saving Futures
CHAPTER 12
Imagine a Better Future | Restore Your Farming Legacy Eliminate debt. Stop foreclosure. Stop repossessions. Cancel bad vendor and packing house contracts. Sell farmland with little to no capital gains tax.
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