May 1 - May 31st - The iris are blooming! Hundreds of spectacular iris bloom throughout the garden - bearded, spuria, dwarf, variegated. Free admission and picnic tables to enjoy the beautiful gardens!
Visitors are welcome to walk through the garden viewing and photographing hundreds of blooming bearded iris. We have a gold fish pond, picnic tables, a botanical garden, and a hummingbird porch. We have both potted iris and mail order iris for sale. We also have an online catalog.
The Iris Farm Gallery is located in a 2100 square foot building, part of which is an old shepherd's house, made of adobe, and dating back to the mid 1800s. This part of the building, with its hand hewn ceiling beams, interesting architecture, and tile work, is worth the visit. (The land was originally owned by Sheriff Brady, the first man shot by Billy the Kid.)
The gallery features the artistry of Alice Warder Seely, a New Mexico artist of Anglo, Hispanic and Native American Descent. (Alice is also the resident horticulturist and, along with Chris Camacho, the resident horticularist, is responsible for the Iris Farm and the landscaping.) Alice is a painter, sculptor, and jewelry and textile designer. The gallery features her work along with the work of dozens of other craftspeople from around the world.
The gallery's main entrance features Alice's jewelry. Alice hand casts and assembles the jewelry in her jewelry factory down the highway. Alice sells her jewelry to over 500 museum gift shops, galleries, national parks, airport stores, and boutiques in the United States and Canada. The rest of the gallery is filled with pottery, purses, baskets, and decorative items, all at affordable prices.
One surprising gallery feature is a contemporary collection of women's clothing, assembled from around the world. The clothing line is unique and upscale, and all sizes can be accommodated. Women who visit the gallery are astounded by the interesting designs, the degree of tastefulness, and the fact that so many well-known American designers are represented. And, again, prices are reasonable. New clothing items arrive continually.
Children are welcome. Trip Advisor: a four and a half star rating!