Open Dates:

June 2nd through July 11th.

Hours:

Wednesday through Sunday, 9 AM to 2 PM. We are closed Monday and Tuesday.

If you find it convenient to visit at another time, please call ahead to be sure there will be someone here to help you, and the gates are open.

It is now the last week of October and it has been an exceptional season: good rainfall and good blooms! Now we are completing a somewhat major overhaul of the garden. Almost all beds were re-worked and re-planted, including the selected seedlings, hybridizing areas, and display beds. We have test-dug a few; so we know the roots look terrific.

Vic's pond is being completed with a mini perennial garden "next door" to it. You will enjoy seeing his Agaves.

Our hybridizing programs continue, and we bloomed some of our finest reds ever in '09. Other "colors" also appeared, with several interesting hues of purple blooming for the first time. Be sure to visit this coming summer for the pleasure or curiosity!

Special Note:

Our new "Introductions" listed in our catalogs are actually registered the previous year. So, for example, our 2010 introduction 'Cherryville', is a 2009 registration. This is important to our customers who have AHS Display Gardens and need the correct registration date for their garden name tags.

We are introducing four diploid doubles this season: 'Cotton Kiss', 'Peach Whip', 'Plum Lucky', and 'Rose Flash'. All four have some distinctive characteristics. 'Cotton Kiss' and 'Plum Lucky' have very distinctive coloration. Both would be very pretty in the garden. 'Peach Whip' is more common in color, but it sends up repeat scapes continually and is always double. 'Rose Blush' has clear coloration of a bright distinctive shade of rose-pink. Like most doubles, an occasional single bloom will occur, but most are "double."

As usual, our "Featured Introductions" this year vary somewhat. We have two large-flowered UF's. 'Cameron's Charisma' is tall and spectacular for the rear of the border; the other, 'Charlotte Shout', is a bright red to honor a Charlotte festival. 'Dragon Moon' is orange with a darker eye. Very pretty. 'Paul Cranford', at 6" is larger and brighter than most cultivars with this coloration. 'Cherryville' has flaws like most daylilies, but this is getting closer to what we want in a red daylily. Not perfect, but closer.

Region 15 Hybridizers

We are very pleased to pronounce that Region 15 has some wonderful hybridizers. With a large number of voters, the Region 15 Hybridizer's Award for 2009 still had a 5-way tie. When you have a chance, check out the hybridizing efforts of these people:

Terry Baucom and Jennifer Prowe

Judy Davisson

Cindy Dye

Betty Earl and Bob Marshall

Bill Hemmingsen

Dale Hensley (wonderful reds)

Peggy and Jim Jeffcoat

Paul Owens

Bob Selman

J. D. Stadler

Judith Weston

These are only a few people who have major hybridizing programs and live an hour or so from us. The total region has many more fine hybridizers.

Some wonderful plants for your garden: a red buckeye (certainly one of the prettiest flowering trees), the Cannas 'Tropicanna', 'Australia', and 'Bengal Tiger' have pretty flowers and spectacular foliage. Camellia sasanqua 'Sparkling Burgundy', which always blooms in the fall before any freezing weather. Also, plant some garden mums. Email Van for some sources. We have also used many varieties of Rohdea, Aspidista, and hardy Agaves for form and textural effects.

Ah, the cats! No, THE cat! We now have only one of Kiwi's kittens left: SNOWFLAKE, who loves all the personal attention. We have learned that "Siamese" genes do not work well for outside garden cats. SNOWFLAKE does hunt a little but is very high strung and afraid of his own shadow. He prefers to trot along with us and get lots of petting. Strictly a two person cat. He hides when there are any visitors in the garden. In the spring, we hope to get 2 new kittens that are barnyard bred, hunters, loveable, and trainable.

The Carolina Breakfast Club meets monthly, usually the second Wednesday, for breakfast and chatter. We try to plan for some activity after breakfast like visits to gardens, arboretums, garden centers, greenhouses, slide shows, etc. Come and join us. Call or email for information.

For information about Region 15, North and South Carolina, go to our Region 15 website at www.ahsregion15.org. On this site you are able to view information about our regional officers and activities, club information and activities, hybridizer and garden galleries, and sources for daylilies. You will also find information about our Summer Regional Meeting hosted by the Sandhills Daylily Club in Fayetteville, NC on June 11th and 12th, 2010.

Directions

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.

Ordering Information:

Our shipping season runs from about April 1st 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.