Long’s Gardens

Wonderful family run farm where you can pick your own Irises, and dig them out of the ground. Great for families, and a must vivist on Mothers day!

Anyone looking for incredibly wonderful irises for their Colorado garden should stop in here and dig their own. It is very easy, you can pick your colors when they are in bloom, and there is a picture catalog for when they are not. This is a family operation, a Boulder gem, nearly 100 years old. The season runs from sometime in May to sometime in June, weather dependent, every year. The digging is very easy, they are shallow rooted plants and the Long family provides all the tools. Bring work shoes and gloves though. It can be muddy.
Every time I have occasion to re-​do part of my yard, I renovate appropriate areas with irises. They love the climate, are a wonderful addition to rock gardens, especially steep ones that need erosion control. They hate «soggy.» The price is so affordable. If you miss the season and have to buy potted irises at a local garden supply, they can be hard to find, limited color selection and very, very much more expensive.
When the fields start to bloom it is worth the visit to just admire and take pictures even if you don’t have a yard to plant. The season is almost over now though.
I really love this place and have been their customer for decades. Irises do tend to «wear out» and need separating and replanting eventually, and relocating if their spot gets too shady with growing trees. It is fun to replace for a different color option. But they do last for many years. Longs also does a catalogue/​website mail order business for far away customers.

We have bought iris plants here for several years. Interesting spot where you can «dig your own» plants right out of the ground. Larger iris plants are $ 8.50, smaller ones are $ 6.50. Mothers get a free small plant on Mother’s Day. Not sure if that applies to fathers on their day, but this place is fun.