Peak Bloom at Schreiner's Iris Garden | Salem, Oregon

During the COVID lockdown, I—like so many others shut in at home—gained a passion for gardening. I was constantly gardening in my backyard, and on top of that, looking for inspiration on YouTube and Pinterest. While looking for inspo, I stumbled upon a video of someone touring Schreiner's Iris Garden and was in awe; I couldn’t believe the vibrancy and color of the blooms I saw on the video. Visiting this garden in person was on my bucket list and I was lucky enough to visit during the 2022 Bloom Season!

How to Visit Schreiner’s Iris Garden

Schreiner's Iris Garden is located in Salem, Oregon which is just 50 minutes south of Portland. The gardens are open during May which is normally when Iris’ are in bloom. Because Mother Nature has a mind of her own, the garden’s operating hours may vary around peak bloom season for that year. It is highly recommended to visit to garden when it is in peak bloom to enjoy the full variety of Iris, Peony, Allium, Columbine, and other gorgeous plantings around the 10-acre display gardens. The staff and gardeners at Schreiner’s constantly update social media as to the bloom schedule and are more than willing to answer and questions. Since I came from out of town, I was easily able to check the garden’s Instagram to see when peak bloom was expected and from there, plan my ticket purchase.

How to Buy Tickets

Buying tickets is super easy; you can do it online through their website for $5 each. You also have the option of purchasing 10 fresh cut Iris stems for $9.99 which I highly recommend. Visitors can purchase a season pass for reoccurring visits, which would be a great option for local residents! When I visited, I picked up 10 fresh cut Iris stems as well as several potted iris they had for sale, which I am so excited to plant in my front yard. You can also place orders for Iris to be shipped to your home if you came from out of town, or if a variety was out of stock.

Schreiner’s is very artist friendly and welcomes photographers and artists to paint and draw in the garden. They recommend visiting early in the morning when less people are there to photograph the flowers during the morning golden hour. Although the primary purpose of my trip to the garden wasn’t to photograph, I still brought my camera to capture the memories of my trip to look back at when I am home.