On the Road is a weekday feature spotlighting reader photo submissions.
From the exotic to the familiar, whether you’re traveling or in your own backyard, we would love to see the world through your eyes.
Good Morning All,
This weekday feature is for Juicers who are are on the road, traveling, or just want to share a little bit of their world via stories and pictures. So many of us rise each morning, eager for something beautiful, inspiring, amazing, subtle, of note, and our community delivers – a view into their world, whether they’re far away or close to home – pictures with a story, with context, with meaning, sometimes just beauty. By concentrating travel updates and tips here, it’s easier for all of us to keep up or find them later.
Have a wonderful day, and enjoy the pictures!
Today, pictures from valued commenter Mike in Oly.
Winter days have me longing for colorful spring flowers and warm sunshine, so I thought I would share pics from a trip I took last spring to Salem, OR, to visit Schreiner’s Iris Gardens. Schreiner’s is one of the largest commercial producers of bearded irises, and they have been in the business (still family owned) since the 1920s. Driving down I-5 you can see fields filled with blooms in the spring. And their display gardens are a masterpiece in garden design. May is the best time to visit.
Taken on 2018-05-21 00:00:00
Salem, OR
While the focus is irises, there are many lovely companion plants creating a lovely backdrop for the main displays.
Taken on 2018-05-21 00:00:00
Salem, OR
The weather in the PNW doesn’t always cooperate for a nice spring day, but this one was perfect.
Taken on 2018-05-21 00:00:00
Salem, OR
This variety is named ‘Magical’, and it sure is. The alliums floating above like bubbles set the scene nicely.
Taken on 2018-05-21 00:00:00
Salem, OR
There is no missing ‘Picasso Moon’ – this variety shines across the garden.
Taken on 2018-05-21 00:00:00
Salem, OR
The amazing ‘Wonders Never Cease’. Hpe you enjoyed this little peek at spring in the Willamette Valley!
Thank you so much Mike in Oly, do send us more when you can.
Travel safely everybody, and do share some stories in the comments, even if you’re joining the conversation late. Many folks confide that they go back and read old threads, one reason these are available on the Quick Links menu.
One again, to submit pictures: Use the Form or Send an Email
J R in WV
ETA: FIRST, ’cause I got up to stock the slow burning fire in the bedroom in the wee hours, and have a Girl Scout cookie or two, and a glass of milk while I wait to get sleepy again.
Wow, frabjously beautiful flowers. My next door grandma did round plantings in her yard, and iris was always a big part of the spring display. She was the grandma who was in the garden club, and who had a gardener who did the heavy lifting. So she pointed to where these plants belonged, and where those plants needed to go, and it was so that evening.
My other, maternal grandma actually wore gloves and a bonnet, and I helped her dig holes for this spring’s tree planting. She planted more trees every spring, knowing full well that she probably woulnd’t ever see those trees in their full glory, as she was in her 60s, then 70s, then 80s still planting, not caring that a different generation would reap the full benefit of the poplars, or apples, or spruce trees when they finally matured. She too planted iris, and peonies, and roses along with the trees, and grapes.
It’s 3:30 am here, and this ancient personal history is what you get at that time of night…
Thanks for the very good pictures of the great beds of iris!
Mary G
Glorious flowers, just what I needed to see on a gloomy rainy week here. I’ve gotten Shreiner’s catalog for year, but that doesn’t do justice to that amazing garden!
JPL
@J R in WV: Lovely pictures and a wonderful story.
West of the Rockies
Beautiful! The frame is stuffed with color and compelling subject matter. I love it!
debbie
Irises are among my favorites! A homeowner around a mile from here has a side yard filled with irises, much like the top photo but on a smaller scale. Last year, they were repaving the road which seemed to suppress blooming. :(
CZanne
Oooh. All the pretties.
(Oh, is THIS what it’s like to live on Eastern Time? To see the morning pic thread just opening up, with morning coffee?)
Update from Georgia: Obviously I’m here, safe. Family is behaving. Brooke’s heart should be transplanted by now, so that’s good to know. Niece the Younger is handling Brooke’s death fairly well. She’s the center of attention, and she’s acquired a lot of older siblings thanks to Brooke’s crew of geeks. My sister is at the numb stage, which isn’t good, but could be worse. We’re moving base of operations back to my sister’s house in BFE. (AKA the house waiting for a forest fire.)
This is the gofundme (mostly replacing lost wages) https://www.gofundme.com/support-for-the-pack-family
My sister’s house doesn’t have great cell reception, but should have WiFi. I’ll try to poke in a bit more today and tomorrow.
Denali
Irises are my absolute favorite flower. Wish I were on the Left Coast so I could visit these lovely gardens. Thanks so much for the photos!
opiejeanne
@CZanne: Thanks for checking in with us. This is a terrible thing to live through but it will hurt less as time goes on. I hope the younger sister will be ok and I’m glad to hear that Brooke’s heart was donated to someone in need. I think that may help ease the sorrow a little.
Take care, and know we’re thinking of you.
opiejeanne
Dear Mike in Oly, thank you for posting these beautiful pictures. I decided this winter that the front border needs some irises but the iris farm in Maltby closed down a couple of years ago. This garden sounds like a nice place for us to visit in the spring.
Mike in Oly
I am so glad you enjoyed them! Something nice for this cold, snowy morning here in western WA.
WaterGirl
@J R in WV: I always love your stories. Your grandma wearing gloves and a bonnet (!) paints a great picture.
Yutsano
@Mike in Oly: Looks like the snow y’all are getting now will be hitting over on the dry side some time this afternoon. I’m gonna get to play in it a bit because I have to make a run to the store. Pleasant well-wishes appreciated, although my German workhorse does pretty well in icy conditions.
Debbie(Aussie)
@Mike in Oly:
Thank you so much. Irises are my favourite flower. Currently we are suffering from the heat, while you guys up north have the cold. We have major flooding in northern Queensland, bushfires in Tasmania, and heatwaves in between, down eastern Australia.
Mike in Oly
@Yutsano: I am ready for all this snow to go back up in the mountains where it belongs and the cold to leave with it. Supposed to be 18o tonight. Ugh.
@Debbie(Aussie): Mine too. So glad you enjoyed them. Sorry you all are baking down there. We’ve been following it with shock. Sure hope cooler temps and rain reach you soon.