Laurel Valley Iris Farm

Laurel Valley Iris Farm Laurel Valley is a small urban farm specializing in bearded iris cultivars. We are nestled between the mountains and the coast of North Carolina.

We provide online and local iris rhizome sales. I have been a lover of plants all my life, even at a very early age. I grew up in the mountains of Western North Carolina in Madison County, near the Tennessee state line. My close relatives owned a nursery business within walking distance of my home growing up and it was always a treat to visit the greenhouses. As a youngster, I spent countless hours in the woods from early spring until late fall, gathering NC native plants and bringing them back home to cultivate. Being outdoors and in nature is where I have always felt connected. I first became interested in irises in early adulthood. Had anyone asked me then if I would have ever thought about opening a small iris growers business, I would have not had an answer. What initially began as hobby growing has grown into a passion of mine. I love to share my love and knowledge of irises with others. I have enjoyed selling locally and I am working towards developing a website and pursuing online sells as well! There is so much to look forward to with growing irises. During bloom season, everyday is a wonderful surprise. The color combinations and cultivars are endless and there is something special about seeing that first spring bloom finally open after a long, dark, winter!

Mama and I potted up some of my Oriental Lily bulbs the we dug up yesterday. We had these planted out in a natural area ...
10/27/2026

Mama and I potted up some of my Oriental Lily bulbs the we dug up yesterday. We had these planted out in a natural area just off the back porch. You might not be able to tell the shear size of this one, but we have 5 that were baseball size and this was one of them.

Can you imagine the wallpaper we all could create with our iris photos? I have never seen wallpaper with vivid depiction...
10/21/2026

Can you imagine the wallpaper we all could create with our iris photos? I have never seen wallpaper with vivid depictions of irises on it like this one. I’m not so sure I’d want a room covered in it, but an accent piece like a small book shelf or something might be cool if it were all your favorite irises on the print.

I took the long way to the farm today to clear my mind a bit. This view of Pilot Mountain didn’t disappoint. Laurel Vall...
10/18/2026

I took the long way to the farm today to clear my mind a bit. This view of Pilot Mountain didn’t disappoint. Laurel Valley is on the opposite side of the mountain so our view is a little different. I’m sure after tonight’s colder temps, the leaves will begin to color up over the next few weeks. Usually by Thanksgiving, the leaves have completely fallen from the trees and the landscape changes drastically. 🍁🍂

We tend to have beautiful sunsets after storms roll through and clear the atmosphere. We faired well with the rains. We ...
10/13/2026

We tend to have beautiful sunsets after storms roll through and clear the atmosphere. We faired well with the rains. We got a little over two inches up at the farm. My side gutters that I dug carried the water down off the rows. I’ve still got some tweaking to do, but I allowed the water to make its way down so that I could see the pattern it created in order to implement further trenching. The rocks that I have used in various intervals down the rows have slowed the flow and stabilized the hills. There is still work to be done, but I am just thankful that everything seems to be thriving. I’ll know a little later what has made it and what hasn’t. Irises will fool you sometimes. They will look dormant or dead and then bam! A green fan forms…now we wait.

Finally found some time to get the creek bank cleared in this one section. A lot of work and time has gone into making i...
10/10/2026

Finally found some time to get the creek bank cleared in this one section. A lot of work and time has gone into making improvements to the land. I wish now that I had taken photos in the very beginning of what this space used to look like because it was overgrown and almost impassible. I’ve had a lot of help and we made it a family affair to work together towards a common goal. Fall is here and the water is clear clean to the bottom of the pool; the fish seem to be enjoying it. Find peace and joy in the little things…

Just a quick walk through the rows late this afternoon after work and I got excited for the first time in a while. We go...
10/05/2026

Just a quick walk through the rows late this afternoon after work and I got excited for the first time in a while. We got a little rain up at the farm last night. The cooler temps are finally creeping in and the irises are making quick work putting on some increase before winter. These are some of the June planted irises and they are already leaps and bounds ahead of the July & August planted girls. We aren’t even going to talk about the September and first week of October plantings, let’s just say that’s the latest I’ve ever direct planted and I’m not feeling warm and fuzzy about it. I’ve transplanted during those times, but that’s been established plants with well defined root systems that can be dropped in the ground without a lot of interruption. Only time will tell. Enjoy the be-be’s!

10/04/2026

The last of the irises went into the ground at Laurel Valley yesterday. Amazingly, I have some room for more, but that can be next season’s story. Now it’s time to plant my seeds from my crosses and see what germinates by next spring.

A nice surprise today in the field. It’s actually, one of two surprises I’ve found this week. The first was supposed to ...
09/14/2026

A nice surprise today in the field. It’s actually, one of two surprises I’ve found this week. The first was supposed to be From Within, but after reviewing photos of that iris, it’s obviously not. This one will be a NOID because I’m not even going to attempt to figure it out. The second iris is Again and Again and it appears to be the correct cultivar. I’m just happy to see the blooms.

Let’s talk about resilience today. I was moving a clump of irises that I needed to take up to the farm that was not in o...
09/07/2026

Let’s talk about resilience today. I was moving a clump of irises that I needed to take up to the farm that was not in one of the beds; it was what I call a “sideliner” iris because they multiply like crazy but it’s still beautiful and one of the very first TB historics to bloom(Germanica Vulgaris). I noticed a couple of fans sticking up about 2 feet away from where I was digging. Upon further inspection, it was a mother that I thought was spent that I had thrown out while I was moving all the other irises this June. With closer examination, I noticed that it was upside down, meaning the portion of the rhizome that should have been facing upwards was pointing down. It was clear that the old holes from the roots of the mother were facing up. It managed to throw three increases even while it was upside down. This one is going in my NOID row because I have a feeling it came from the back bed and all of those are named Irises. It just goes to show you, your world can literally be turned upside down and there is still the hope of thriving in unfavorable conditions. That’s the lesson I am taking with me today. Just another sign I suppose. 💜

09/07/2026

We got some much needed rain up at the farm today. This storm came out of the east which is unusual as they usually ride north to south. I was planting and kept watching it moving closer. I threw the last two irises I had in my box down in the dirt and the drops started falling fast. I hightailed it to the truck before I got soaked. It poured for a good 15 minutes. The chickens all got an unexpected bath because they were out free ranging. I wish they would eat those weeds in between the rows lol.

Address

Brent Street
Winston-Salem, NC
27103

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