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Photograph by George Sakkestad
Wayne and Carolyn Craft have a 1-acre garden in the backyard of their Los Gatos home. Carolyn Craft, a master gardener trained by the University of California, grows more than 1,000 different irises, as well as 50 different fruit trees, berry patches, roses and more. Craft is president of the local Clara B. Rees Iris Society, which is hosting the 47th annual spring show, 'Iris Fantasy,' this weekend at Westgate Mall.
Iris Society brings 'fantasy' show to Westgate
Local growers display their flowers at show
By Jennifer McBride
Typically, by this time in April, irises would be blooming as far as the eye can see. However, because of the seemingly never-ending rain in Northern California, that's not quite the case this year in Los Gatos and Saratoga gardens.
Nevertheless, members of the local Clara B. Rees Iris Society aren't about to let a little rain stop them. The show must go on, and that's exactly what will happen this weekend when iris growers from far and wide take over the Westgate Mall for the 47th annual "Iris Fantasy" spring show on April 22 and 23.
Ask local iris lovers where their favorite places to go to see the latest blooms are, and it's likely the Los Gatos home of Carolyn and Wayne Craft will be high up on the list.
The Craft home, on a small hillside near the corner of Blossom Hill and Harwood roads, has an impressive 1-acre garden, which is home to more than 1,000 different irises, situated amongst winding, mulch-covered pathways with 50 different citrus and deciduous fruit trees, a rose garden, numerous berry patches and more. The Crafts open their garden a few days a week for public tours during the iris bloom season, typically in April and May. In addition to senior citizens and the average garden lover, Carolyn Craft says many schools like to tour her garden and learn about plant life, which she highly supports.
"We're so out of touch with agriculture," she says of today's generation. "Over 70 percent of everything you eat comes from it, and even other household items, such as parts of your computer. People need to realize that if farming dies, we all starve." For that reason, Craft says she likes to grow much of the food her family eats.
She is a master gardener, trained by the UC Extension Services. Students of this program are trained in advanced gardening skills in return for giving back to the community when they complete the training. They teach classes, share gardening knowledge, answer phones at the local hotline and more. She also coordinates school garden programs for Santa Clara County.
Those who like to watch the PBS show The Painting Gourmet, hosted by artist Darlene Carman, may recognize Craft's face--she has appeared on the show four times. Carman paints, but without paint--she uses vegetables and other foods. Craft guest-starred in a few episodes to demonstrate how the iris can also be used as paint.
"The color that comes out of the flower--it's amazing how much color you can get," she says.
Elaine and Jim Laflin of Saratoga also have an impressive garden. The Laflins have occupied their home on Allendale Avenue and Quito Road since 1963, and their garden is home to a multitude of irises such as Japanese irises, hybrids of irises that grow on the Gulf Coast and Pacific Coast irises, which, to Elaine Laflin's joy, are blooming now despite the persistent rain.
She says she first fell in love with irises when she visited Maryott, a commercial garden that used to be in Willow Glen.
"That's where my original 20 irises came from," Laflin says.
She so loved what she saw at Maryott that it inspired her to join the local Iris Society.
"I've always had flowers in the garden," she says, but when she was raising her children, she mostly concentrated on vegetables for cooking. Once her children were grown, she began focusing on her irises.
Mary Lou Wyman, co-chairwoman of this year's iris show, fell in love with the flower on a routine grocery run.
"I picked up my first iris at a stand in a Safeway store about 15 years ago. I went home and stuck it in the ground, and it was so gorgeous," she recalls. "I started getting interested, and then I joined the Iris Society after talking with other members."
At its peak, Wyman says her garden can hold up to 70 to 80 different varieties of irises.
Wyman says anyone interested in learning more about the art of growing irises can certainly pick up some knowledge at the show this weekend.
On Saturday morning, before the show opens, those who have entered irises in the competition will be judged by experts from all over California. Judges from the American Iris Society will critique the horticultural division for stalks in various categories such as tall bearded, Pacific Coast and more. Judges from the Garden Club of America will oversee the artistic division, which is for flower arrangers. Arrangements entered in the competition must consist mostly of irises.
When the show opens to the public, rhizomes, or bulbs of irises, and potted flowering plants will be for sale, and the winners of the competition will be displayed with their awards. General planting and growing tips will be available for aspiring iris growers.
Elaine Laflin is looking forward to the show, and has participated nearly every year in the past.
"I've had my share of blue ribbons in the past," she says. "I even got 'Best in Show' a couple of times."
'Iris Fantasy,' the 47th annual spring show, takes place on April 22, noon to 7 p.m., and April 23, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., at Westgate Mall, 1600 Saratoga Ave. in San Jose. Admission is free. For more information on entering the competition, call Mary Lou Wyman at 408.725.8626. For more information on joining the local Clara B. Rees Iris Society or visiting the Craft garden at 16380 Harwood Road in Los Gatos, call Carolyn Craft at 408.266.0945.
