By CINDY LADAGE
Illinois Correspondent

PLEASANT PLAINS, Ill. — This was the 18th year Betty Kern has had irises on her land. The first three years after she planted them, the lovely blooms she and her late husband, Byron, so delighted in were just a hobby.

“I started out with 10 of them,” Kern said, “then they kept sending me catalogs and I ordered more and more.”

These days she offers iris walks at various times in May and sells iris starts along with oil paintings of landscapes, animals and birds, and a few other craft items such as the safety pin dolls she makes. This talented gardener and painter said the weather is the decider on when the irises will be the best to view. This year “we had a late spring and they bloomed two weeks late.”

The last showing she had was the end of May. “Around the 20th they were the best,” Kern said. “You should have seen them then. Red Hat Ladies came to visit and they saw them at their best.”

The iris passion is a family affair. Her daughter Sandi and husband, Harry Gillette, and their daughter, Becky McCalla, work with Kern once the irises are done. It is in July that the family starts preparing the orders they received during May. The Gillettes have their own iris farm in Milford, Ill., for the second year. “My son-in-law will dig them, my daughter will separate them and my granddaughter and I will package them,” Kern explained.

Those who ordered iris starts come to pick them up. The hardest part for visitors is deciding from which beautiful variety to choose. “I have over 250 varieties and that number will go up next year because of sharing with my daughter,” Kern said. For those who order iris starts, she lets them know to keep in mind that the plant will spread. “One bulb will spread two-and-a-half to three feet within 3 years. That is when they should be divided,” she said.

Kern doesn’t have to worry about dividing plants because she sells off starts, keeping the beds fresh. They are ready in July and may be planted during the last part of July or the first few weeks of August, or any time after that.

For those who missed the iris walk, Kern will accept orders through the end of June. “You can still order from pictures,” she explained. “I will give everyone that orders when they pick them up a picture of all the irises.”

She has an amazing array. Her favorites this year were Visual Art, Conjuration and Starship Enterprise.

“When planting, dig down and make a hole,” she advised. “Spread out the roots and lay them down long-ways. The roots should not go straight down; you don’t want the rhizomes to point down. Just make sure the roots are spread out, then fill in dirt along the roots, with the rhizomes sideways and cover up about half an inch, and then water. They will begin to show the tops later, which is okay – don’t cover them too deep or they won’t bloom.”

Kern also said never to place anything on the blooms or on the roots directly. After applying the fertilizer and chemicals, keep up with the weeding, which she says can be a big job.

Since her husband died in 2006, Kern works alone managing Kern Acres most of the time, though she does have an “alarm system” to let her know when anyone comes to visit: A little Shih Tzu named Sparky. “He is my alarm and lets me know when people are there or not. He watches out the window,” she added.

Each year around 40-50 people stop by while the irises are in bloom. She has many repeat customers but is amazed at how many new faces she sees, as well.

Although the season has come to a close, Kern said for those interested in coming next year to call around Mother’s Day to see when the plants will be in bloom – with the irises taking up about three-quarters of an acre, they are quite a sight. “Groups can make appointments to come and view the acres,” she said.

Call 217-626-1552 or e-mail kern acres@2farmconnect.net for details. Kern Acres is located at 12517 State Route 125 in Pleasant Plains.