The Willow Glen Resident

Iris Garden Court blossoms into a popular development

By Cecily Barnes

For the past 60 years, spring in Willow Glen has meant rows of colorful blooms adorning Maryott's Iris Garden on Bird Avenue between Willow Street and Coe Avenue. This year, however, the land has sprouted homes instead of flowers.

Last October, garden owner Bill Maryott sold the land where he had grown irises for 20 years and moved to Corralitos to expand his business. Before him, sisters Ruth and Clara Rees had grown irises at the garden. After years of iris sprouting, the soil on Bird simply wasn't as fertile as it used to be, Maryott said in a previous interview. The Santa Clara Development Company bought the land and quickly built 12 new homes in one of San Jose's hottest real estate markets. In fact, Willow Glen is so hot that although the homes are still being constructed, three have already been sold.

"We started selling about six weeks ago," said Coldwell Banker sales associate John Baldwin. "Once the landscaping goes in there and the homes are near completion, we'll definitely see these sell right away. It's tough for a lot of people to see the house not being completed. Most people cannot just buy off a floor plan. They have to see a completed home."

The homes in the development, called Iris Garden Court, are named after popular iris hybrids created at the garden, including Snow Flurry, Oktoberfest and the Grand Waltz. They range in price from $595,000 to $920,000, and each has at least four bedrooms. According to Baldwin, the fact that the homes are walking distance from the Lincoln Avenue shopping area makes them very desirable.

"Two of the couples [who have bought homes], when they come over to look at the house, they always walk downtown, have lunch there and walk on back," Baldwin said.

Prospective buyers have been very interested in the history of the land, but none have opted to buy just to be able to live atop what was once Maryott's Iris Garden, Baldwin said. Some people have never even heard of the garden, which was a San Jose institution for more than 60 years.

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