Please notice that we have a new closing date - July 15, rather than August 1. We are usually here if you want to visit, but to be certain, please call -- evenings are best, our number is (704) 435-6178.

We usually begin shipping about March 15th, depending on the weather. Late freezes, however, may prevent this. "Evergreens" often take a week or two longer to recuperate in the spring, as we do not mulch. You may have a greenhouse and want plants early, but our plants are grown outside where it's cold! Also, plants shipped early usually have fewer roots and are smaller than those shipped a few weeks later.

Shipping rates continue to go uP! Even the US Postal Service is no longer inexpensive. Our shipping rates do not cover our costs, but like you, we hate to pay exorbitant shipping costs.

Region 15 (NC & SC) continues to expand its horizons - so many fine gardens, so little time to visit. The National Convention in Charlotte was a success - we continue to hear praise for the wonderful gardens that were on tour. Years of advanced preparation were required to have these showcase gardens. We salute you!

Our new AHS Board of Directors member is Linda Sue Barnes, and she will represent us well.

We were pleased that Becky Adams receive our Regional Service Award at our fall (2003) meeting. Becky travels the country promoting Region 15.

The 2004 Region 15 meeting will be in Burlington, NC, on June 18- 24. The speakers will be Curt Hanson and Bob and Mimi Swartz. For additional information go to Rebecca Board's Region 15 website at www.ahsregion15.org.

The issue of "Rust" has resurrected itself recently. Here, we have never had rust! We do follow a few basic rules. We try to receive new plants only in the fall. When the box arrives, it is placed in a large black garbage bag and then opened. The plants are removed quickly and submerged in a tub of Daconil Ultra where they remain for several hours. (We forgot one group of plants and they stayed in the solution about 18 hours, with no ill effects.) The garbage bag is immediately sealed and disposed of. After soaking, the new arrivals are planted in our hybridizing fields, far away from the sales area. Since most things that we buy are for hybridizing, this arrangement has made it more convenient. In January all foliage is removed, even evergreens down to a couple of inches. Most times it is frozen to the ground anyway. Yes, we miss out buying and seeing a lot of fabulous new things, but we rather not take the risk.

Our 2004 Introductions are a roundtable of tets, dips, little, big, wide and narrow. We like "pretty"; so we are likely to choose "such fine color" over "such fine form" (with poor color). It is difficult to "get it all" in one cultivar.

With the 2003 monsoon season here that lasted from January through July, we were able to make some striking observations. It seems that daylilies do like sun and heat.

• the flowers were larger and wider petaled after the "monsoon"
• fringes, bubbly edges, and eyes developed better with heat. Some were hardly noticeable until late in the season
• sun and heat helped to develop sturdier plant habits
• "blue" shades like sun, rain, and cooler temperatures
• our MARGIN OF ERROR (2004) was the color of our slide until we had some heat. Then it became the "real" color, a pale near baby-pink.

After TETRA MORNING MOOD, our most significant new conversion has been TETRA SILOAM RALPH HENRY. We had originally crossed it with nearly 50 different cultivars to see what it could do. Some crosses "hit"; most did not. We are still working in the reds for the fluted ruffling. So far the best ruffling has been retained in the pinks, creams, melons, and yellows. Other colors were less successful.

This year we are introducing 5 new cultivars with TSRH as the pollen parent. Each is rather pretty, but, more importantly, they are the beginnings of fluting with new color combinations. We have already seen what they can do. You will not be disappointed.

Three of the new intros involving TETRA MORNING MOOD are possible variations that have come from TMM - lavender, purple, pink, with patterned eyezones. We are also getting ruffled purples, one of our ambitions. We are proud to introduce FRIEDA ALLEN JERRELL, a patterned daylily with character. Frieda, known to all, now lives in VA with her husband David, a new garden, and her koi. She is happy and we are proud of her.

As we know, the further north gold edging goes, the less pronounced it is (1/2" in FL is 1/4" or less here). We want wide gold edging and we bloomed our first on both pink and purple seedlings that was 1/2" or more and it remained the same throughout the cool temperatures and in the heat. Ah, what it is too dream - a new adventure!

Finally, our two "spoiled" cats, Zeke (9 years old) and Spitz (10 years old). They have become more demanding of our attention as they have grown older, but they still do a good job of patrolling the garden and harassing the local wildlife. We have to be careful using the back door, not to step on some furry or featherd "gift". To prevent them from becoming "prey" they are locked up at night. They find us at 4:00 pm and are taken to our shipping room where they are fed and spend a safe night. At 8:00 am they are fed breakfast and the door is raised so they can explore for the day, often following us or Javier around the garden like "puppy dogs". Spoiled? You bet, and we wouldn't have it any other way!

Ordering Information:

Our shipping season runs from about March 15th until the first week of June. We accept no catalog orders after June 1st. Garden sales have then begun. We mail no catalogs after June 1st. Any requests received after June 1st will be honored the following year.

Club Orders:

Clubs are encouraged to call to receive details about orders and availability.

Garden Visiting:

We will be open from May 15th through July 15th. WE WILL BE OPEN FIVE DAYS A WEEK, Wednesday through Sunday, 9 AM to 5 PM. We are closed Monday and Tuesday so that once again, we are able to visit other gardens during the bloom season. If you find it convenient to visit at another time, please call to be sure there will be someone here to help you, and the gates are open.

We are located between Kings Mountain and Cherryville on Hwy. 216 (eight miles north of Kings Mountain and four miles south of Cherryville). We are about 10 miles north of I-85, depending on which exit you take from the interstate. If you are coming north on I-85, it is easiest to exit at Hwy 216, marked "Kings Mountain" or "Kings Mountain Military Park." Continue north through downtown Kings Mountain on Hwy. 216 until you see the "Iron Gate Gardens" signs on the left. If you are going south on I-85, take exit 10B, "74 West, Kings Mountain - Shelby." Continue for about 2.5 miles to the third exit. It will read "Cherryville-Kings Mountain, Hwy 216." Turn right (north) at the exit onto Hwy. 216 and travel about eight miles. Our signs will be on the left.