CLOSED FOR THE 2008 SEASON
Sadly, I cannot accept any new orders for iris for this summer. The beds are depleted, and it's time to renovate them, feed the iris, and let them rest for next year. I'm a bit depleted myself, actually.............it's been an extraordinary year, and I hate to see this part of it come to an end. I know it's weird, but I've genuinely enjoyed packing up orders and sending them all across the United States. (Next year we'll be shipping to Canada!) I had hoped to be able to accept new orders for another few weeks, and plan to do so in future years.
But the cycle never stops, and already we're looking forward to next year. We learned so much this year that we can't wait to apply the lessons to another growing season. Once the beds are renovated, it's time for some hard decisions: I'm thinking about buying a trailer to take pots to garden shows, since that's been a very successful venue for Stoney Creek Iris. I'd love to do a paper catalog. A 'real' tractor would be a godsend. There are better cameras and computers on the market now that would make things more efficient, and I need a scanner and a fax machine. I'd love to hire someone to work here part time. The 'iris room' on one of the outbuildings could really use some amenities like better lighting, fans, and shelving. It's hard to decide on the priorities, since everything can't happen in one year.
During the next few months, there will be many changes on the Stoney Creek Iris website. First, you'll begin to see pictures of hundreds of varieties that have not yet been available on the site. This is not a large-budget operation, and when I purchase new varieties, I often only get a few and it takes several years to build up enough quantity to sell. I'm hoping that in 2009 there will be a huge influx of new varieties as many of the purchases from the last few years increase in quantity. For a few months, you'll be able to see all of them. Hopefully, most of what you'll see on the site will actually be available for sale next season.
The site will shut down entirely for a week or two in October as we transfer to a new host and use the downtime to make some other changes.
GIFT CERTIFICATES are available for Christmas purchase; it's extremely informal, sort of custom-designed to your needs. Just email me (there's a link at the top of the page) and we'll figure it out.