Islandview said:Arlyn, I was fascinated to read what you had to say about display gardens. It's a bit sad that visitors don't even know common courtesy to begin with but hopefully if they see what is expected of them in writing or somehow spelled out, they'll get the hints. I was interested because i recently joined a local iris society and in their newsletter there were some display gardens listed. I wasn't sure how this works. Does one make a cold call and ask to trod on their private property? One of the gardens near my place specializes in reblooming irises so I thought maybe in the fall, I'd give it a whirl and call her. By the way, how does an iris garden qualify to be a "display garden?"
Luckily, as Tom pointed out, it's a VERY small percentage of visitors who are "rude", and, it's a very small percentage of folks who try to "scam" you, somehow, but, just ONE can really ruin your outlook...if you let it!...Most visitors, and forum members, are decent folks, who try to treat "the other guy" fairly. Anyone can forget, in the busy iris season, to mail the check, or say thanks for the box.....that happens, and can be corrected and forgiven pretty easily.
Every "group" has slightly different "Display Garden" parameters....but, generally, they want a "representative number" of irises to be grown .....if memory serves, HIPS asks that 25 Historics be in the garden.....potential visitors are asked to "make an appointment" before arriving, and, as Greg said, the idea is to entice others to "join the group", or, just "grow some irises". We have never had a LOT of response, as we are in a more "rural" area, but, we DO get a lot of "drive by gawkers".....and they are encouraged to stop in, and look around, by an "open garden" sign placed by the street, and notices put out at a local greenhouse. I think in the three years We've been a HIPS garden, we've had ...maybe....30 calls, or e-mails (this was also our first year as a Median Iris Display Garden) specifically to "set up a time", and I'd say in that same three years, we've probably had 300-400 ", brought in by either the signs, or by "word of mouth".
