September 9th, 2026
Greetings from Tennessee!
First of all, we thank each of you! Your purchases doubled our 2026 sales totals!
This week we are finishing our replant in preparation for sales next year. This summer we added many new varieties—more than a sane person would consider!
It has been an exceptionally dry early fall here and we are watering constantly.
Customers frequently ask what we do for iris diseases. We grow our plants on elevated, wide rows. It gives the plants plenty of space to increase and allow deep root growth. Our soil is mostly loose clay with lots of small gravel, requiring gloves when weeding unless you prefer bloody hands! Here in the mid-south, we grow our irises with the top of the rhizomes exposed to the blistering sun and this also has played a large part in avoiding the appearance of soft rot and crown rot.
When weeding, if soil has washed against the foliage or covers the rhizomes IT IS REMOVED CONTINUOUSLY. The blistering heat of summer and pounding thunderstorms are the #1 causes of crown and soft rot in the Southeast. After massive thunderstorms, we remove that soil with a high pressure nozzle on a garden hose. (Our heavy rainfalls level the bed surfaces back to level status.)
I sincerely appreciate your notes and phone calls inquiring about my health. I have had “plenty” of surgeries in the past 2 years and recoveries were rapid and with very little pain. I have learned that the medical community LOVES patients with medical insurance that covers the horrific costs of almost every test and procedure! I am the human guinea pig!
Garden-wise, I am the official weeder. Our bloom in 2026 was the best we have enjoyed here in several years .. and we had lots of visitors this spring. I kept hoping for more visitors in the heat of summer, but not one human mentioned that they would sure enjoy helping us during the heat of summer weeding, digging, shipping and planting!
Here’s wishing a great bloom season for each of you in 2027! I purchased my first tall bearded iris plants in 1962 and I still enjoy every year of planting, weeding and enjoying the incomparable rainbow of colors and combinations of colors that only the bearded irises can provide.
With our sincere thanks for your many years of patronage!
Phil Williams 914 South Main St., Eagleville, TN 37060
615-274-6426
Shipments begin in mid July and continue through September; they are typically filled in the order received.