Cindy’s interest in irises began over 20 years ago when she put a water feature in the backyard of her newly purchased house and was looking for plants to fill it. She found that her plants, including irises, lotuses, and water lilies, multiplied quickly – and she started giving them away to friends and neighbors.
As she learned more about growing irises, she discovered the huge variety of forms, colors, and shapes — and she was hooked. She also met Patrick O’Connor who encouraged her to expand her knowledge and learn more about species iris as well.
Further encouragement came from an unusual source: as she applied for a license to ship irises across state lines, the Mississippi Ag Inspector complemented her outfit, saying “Your iris look better than many I’ve seen in commercial nurseries.”
Cindy muses “for me, spring is like Christmas” seeing all the Louisiana Iris flower scapes emerge. “The first color in the bud is so dreamy, and seeing swathes of blooms together is magical.”
Her first introduced hybrid was Pearl River Princess, which is a good grower and remains quite popular.
Now, as she charts a new course after selling her nursery, Cindy is turning her focus to hybridizing and to helping preserve endangered wild iris in Louisiana.
