Gray's Iris

GRAY’S IRIS GARDEN
140 Upper Saddle River Road
Montvale, NJ 07645
graysirisgarden@comcast.net

Garden Overview

The Site You Are Standing On
The Gray family moved to Montvale from Park Ridge in 1924. Charles Gray settled on a scenic 1 1/4 acre parcel of abandoned pastureland on the bend of a frequently impassable dirt road, while his parents, Samuel and Ida, built their home on the property adjacent. Long before Montvale was transformed into a thriving town serving corporate headquarters and upscale homes, this tranquil piece of ground lay nestled among large stretches of forest and farm fields owned by families with names such as Tice, DePiero, Van Riper, and Foxlee. Although the house was renovated in 1936, the basic structure from the original 1924 home remains.

The Making of an Iris Garden
In 1922 while still in Park Ridge, Charles purchased his first few tall-bearded iris, which in essence, became the foundation and inspiration for his garden on Upper Saddle River Road. Over the years he slowly added to his collection, although during the Depression and World War II much of the property was devoted to growing vegetables and other self-sustaining produce. It was in the mid to late 1940's, with the assistance of his wife, Etheline, that the gardens underwent a significant expansion, along with a more planned and integrated landscaping pattern. This was at a time when several major commercial iris growers in Oregon began publishing color catalogues, thus introducing the beauty of iris to a larger segment of the public. It was also during this period that major breakthroughs were being made by iris hybridizers (breeders) which expanded the range of colors and color combinations available in the flower, and which improved form, size, and other desirable plant qualities.

The Garden’s Former Glory Days
Charles and Etheline began to more aggressively advertise the bloom, institute a formal selling operation, and develop a regular clientele of customers and repeat visitors in the 1950's. This was made possible by the fact that western U.S. growers in particular were developing large wholesale inventories of the popular named varieties, which allowed Gray’s Iris Garden to keep up with the growing demand for the flower. The care of the garden was strictly a family operation all along. Their son, Stan, was introduced to the world of iris at the age of 5 (c. 1955), and eventually co-managed the garden until college (West Point) and a military career prevented him from playing an active role again until the late 1990’s.

In fact, as northern NJ’s population exploded in the '60s and '70s, the scope of the iris sales operation increased dramatically, with thousands of people visiting the garden and in many cases purchasing plants annually. At its peak, Gray’s Iris Garden stocked more than 550 varieties, and gained distinction as one of the largest iris gardens in the tri-state area. It was showcased within the iris world twice, at the national conventions of the American Iris Society in 1960 and 1966. It also received press coverage in papers such as the New York Times and other local publications, and in
1996, the garden was featured on the NY morning edition of the Today Show in a 3-minute piece narrated by Matt Lauer entitled "When Iris Eyes Are Smiling".

The Gray’s only dabbled on a limited basis with hybridizing (ie. attempting to create new named varieties), having several named introductions, mostly in the late '50s and '60s, none of which rose to national prominence. (note that each named variety in the garden was named, registered, and introduced by the person who hybridized it).

Decline and Restoration
Unfortunately, as Charles’ health began to decline in the mid 1990's, the garden also declined. Visitation levels and sales decreased to a negligible amount by 1998. In 1999, Stan decided to perpetuate the legacy of Gray's Iris Garden and restore the garden to its former grandeur. With the assistance of his two sons, Colin (now age 25) and Jordan (now age 23), wife Kate, a college age neighbor, and a landscaper, the entire garden was dug up, re-designed, and re-planted, to create the 28 manicured beds constituting the display today. Also overhauled were the list of named varieties appearing in the garden. The display now consists of 343 different varieties, most of which are newer introductions (from the 1980's, 1990's, and early 2000’s), and which have received some of the highest awards or levels of popularity in the iris world. In addition, a historical display containing each of the Dykes Medal Award winners since 1927 has been retained. (The Dykes is the top award granted to an iris in the nation each year, based on the evaluation of registered iris judges.) By following the flow of this display, consisting of 5 beds, you can in essence observe first hand the evolution in the flower from the early days to the present (each winner has the year of award on its name label).

The Present Management—Still Primarily a Family Affair
Despite the passing of Charles in 2002 and Etheline in 2004, Stan still manages the operation of the garden as a long-distance “commuter”, periodically traveling up to Montvale from his current home in Savannah, Georgia at critical stages annually in the maintenance of the garden corresponding to the "life" cycle of the iris. As time permits in their busy schedules, Jordan and Colin make the trip as well from Savannah to help with garden maintenance, while Stan’s wife Kate works on graphic design for announcements and flyers. Kate’s nephew, Rick Monk, currently lives on the property, and along with Sandy Tyler Glock, a local horticulturist and high school classmate of Stan’s (Pascack Hills H.S., 1968), carry on certain maintenance functions in Stan’s absence. Sandy also lends advice and assistance in the choice of complementary plantings on the property. Russell M. Housman Landscaping Service keeps the rest of the attractively appointed grounds in excellent shape so that Stan and family can focus on the iris.

During the Bloom
Visitors are welcome to visit the garden anytime between dawn and dusk from the start of the bloom period until the last flower fades in mid-June. The best time to view the bloom is normally from May 25 - June 10, contingent on weather trends. There is no admission fee, although visitors are welcome to make small donations to help with the garden’s upkeep. For those wishing to purchase, the Gray’s normally hold an annual sale of 50-100 varieties in need of sub-dividing (note: there will not be a sale in 2006 because few if any plants need subdivision). By doing so, space is also made available in the garden for the incorporation of newer varieties annually. Thus, the collection remains dynamic and continually serves as a display garden featuring the top award winners and newest advances in the world of iris.

How to Grow Iris
For an in-depth discussion on the care of iris, consult “The Fundamentals of Tall Bearded Iris Culture (2006 Edition)”.

Links to Other Information
The American Iris Society (AIS) website, www.irises.org provides the most comprehensive information and links to other authoritative sources of information on all categories of iris. Within New Jersey, Region 19 of the AIS, known as the Garden State Iris Society, also maintains an active calendar of activities throughout the year; see www.jerseyiris.org. The iris featured at Gray’s Iris Garden are classified Tall-bearded (TB).