IRON GATE GARDENS - Garden Musings

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.

The 2004 season came in dry and went out even drier. Forget the daylilies, we were trying to keep the trees and shrubs alive! In addition to this we had an awful photography season. We used ektachrome and had the film developed in Charlotte with disastrous results. Our foliage came out blue or yellow and the flower colors were shifted the same way. We changed processors but to no avail. Few of our new slides were usable, but we did have some from 2003 we could use.

Our 2005 introductions have some fine daylilies. Branching and bud count are important to us, but the length of the bloom season is more important. Multi-bloomers are great for shows but bloom out quickly in the garden. We do not usually get 4 and 5 way branching with 45 buds even though it may occur in the hybridizer's garden.

So many of our intros come from line breeding that it is often difficult to list a specific cross. We could well be introducing the second or the fifth generation from the original cross. We can usually tell you what line the cultivar comes from, but the parents or even grandparents may never have been named. Presently, we are breeding Tetra JAVIER with reds to get large-flowered reds with ruffles. We are already building stock of a few promising seedlings. It took three generations of line breeding LITTLE NICKY (single, with great color) X SILOAM DOUBLE DUMPY (Pauline's best double at the time) to get the double flowering ZONA ROSA. It took another generation to get the rose-red double ROSE STORM. And on it goes for several more generations. Yes, we are crossing with seedlings.

For the first time ever, we are listing very few $10 plants in our catalog. We have planted these inexpensive varieties in two locations for garden sales only. There are about 200 varieties in this group.

We ship by UPS, and the service is excellent - and convenient. Unfortunately, their rates continue to climb. We do use ground service for the S. E. States that are near us. Other areas require second or third day air. This year we hope to use third day air more often. Our tests indicate that the plants arrive in the same good condition as second day air. We also plan to test Priority Mail service.

We have always been avid plant collectors, with special collections in certain areas of the garden. Now, we have started collecting blackspot-free roses. So far, we can tell you that Knockout, Carefree Beauty, Carefree Wonder, Chihuly, Playboy, and some others appear to be disease free. Anything that gets blackspot goes into the compost! We have high expectations for Zack, a flaming orange of great beauty. It was created by Vernon Rickard, a local grower and hybridizer who belongs to our Carolina Breakfast Club.

The Carolina Breakfast Club meets the second Wednesday of each month at 9:00 A.M. for breakfast, daylily chatter, garden visits, slide shows, Nursery and Botanical Garden visits - and even a plant auction. Our meeting location changes each month in the Carolinas. If you're interested in visiting or joining us, just email or call. It is a great group of daylily fanatics!

Spitz and Zeke? They are slowing down a little. They're 9 and 10 years old and have decided they want more attention. They love for us to be outside. If we are in the house, one or both come to the back door or window and scream for attention. Ah, the life of felines!

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 18th through July 17th. 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.

2271 County Line Road
Kings Mountain, NC 28086

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.