From humble beginnings in 1925, F.X. Schreiner's dream of an iris farm is celebrating its 99th anniversary this year.
Originally a 15-acre farm to grow his beloved bearded iris, founder Scheiner's children, Bob, Connie, and Bernard (Gus), assumed the reins of the burgeoning business after F.X. passed away. On the advice of their late father, the Schreiner siblings also began looking for a more hospitable climate for growing and cultivating iris.
The younger Schreiners narrowed in on Oregon's fertile Willamette Valley as an ideal location for their new business. Providing excellent soil, ideal climate and a close proximity to transportation, the valley's offerings were unmatched.
With the conclusion of the second world war, the three Schreiner siblings turned their full attention to growing their retail business on the original Oregon parcel. In 1953, Gus Schreiner won the first Dykes Memorial Medal for his cultivar Blue Sapphire. Bob was to win a Dykes of his own in 1957 for Amethyst Flame.
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