March 9th, 2002
Schreiner’s Iris

Catalog Review: Schreiner’s 2002 Iris Lover’s Catalog

The first week of March brings the most anticipated catalog to my door: the Schreiner’s Iris Lover’s Catalog. The Collector’s Edition is the Victoria Secret of flower catalogs, 72 pages of full-color photographs on glossy stock. It is $5.00 the first time (applicable to your order, and then they send it to you free every year). Or, you can order their free mini-catalog. Or, best yet, you can browse online at Schreiner’s Gardens redesigned and much-improved site.

Three generations of the Schreiner family has been breeding and selling irises since 1925. They have bred many of the country’s top-selling and award-winning irises. Schreiner’s also sell irises bred by other famous iris breeders.

If you are not already an iris fancier, the prices will give you pause. Newly introduced tall bearded irises sell for $50.00 a rhizome. However, the catalog is filled with many beautiful irises from the $7.50 to $15.00 range. (There was a time I didn’t think that was cheap, either.) Schreiner’s also has a bonus program: order $80.00 or more and you get the order half-price. They also throw in a “bonus” rhizome, which is how I acquired “Mystic’s Muse”, the iris that won “best pink” in the Austin Iris Society’s 2001 show. Irises multiply rapidly, so if you wait a few years, a small investment will fill your garden.

If you order irises from Schreiner’s now, they will be shipped in the fall, the best time to plant them. I have ordered from Schreiner’s these last four years and have always been extremely impressed with the quality of their merchandise.

If you are new to irises, you might feel overwhelmed by the choices. A great way to familiarize yourself with the varieties that grow well in Austin is to attend the Iris Society of Austin’s annual iris show (April 20, 2002 at the garden center in Zilker Park). Iris growers, amateur and professional, bring in their irises so you can see what they look like “in the flesh”. No photograph can compare. Plus, you can talk to people who have been growing irises Austin and find out what varieties perform best locally.

by M Sinclair Stevens

2 Responses to post “Schreiner’s Iris”

  1. From Melody A. Cota:

    How can I get a catalog mailed to my home?

    To request a catalog, follow the link in the first paragraph in this entry to Schreiner’s site. They have instructions for requesting a catalog on their home page. — mss

  2. From Judy Patterson:

    I had hoped to see an iris catalog on line. I would like to have a catalog but we do not use credit cards.

    More information would be nice.

    To see Schreiner’s online catalog, click on the link in the first paragraph above. You can also request more information from them by sending them email. — mss