Rivers of Beauty - Richmond Hill Reflections

Rivers of Beauty
A Best-Kept Secret Hiding in Plain Sight

Words and Photos By Ben Merrill

Just beyond the Richmond Hill city limits—tucked behind tall trees at the corner of US 17 and Canebrake Road—one of coastal Georgia’s most unique attractions waits quietly to be discovered. Many know it as a Christmas destination—December Nights, Holiday Lights—but not as many return during the spring, summer, or autumn months to walk along its shaded paths or take in its graceful gardens and stunning blossoms.

“The Coastal Georgia Botanical Gardens is definitely a best-kept secret,” says

Christy Sherman, president of their Friends organization. “But we’d really like to get the secret out! There is so much to see, so much to learn, and so much to explore, and it’s all just a five minute drive from Richmond Hill.”

One of this spring’s most beautiful displays, she noted, is “Rivers of Iris”—featuring one of

the largest variety of irises in the United States. “And the story behind it,” she says, “is nothing short of fascinating.”

Rivers of Iris

Stan Gray knows a thing or two about irises. He has cultivated them for more than 60 years, continuing a family legacy that began in northern New Jersey in the late 1920s. His family’s original garden there became widely recognized throughout the Mid-Atlantic for its size, quality, and meticulous care, and people would come from miles away each spring to enjoy the colorful blooms. The garden was twice selected to host the national convention of the American Iris Society and in 1996 was featured on the Today show.

“It really was,” he says, “a place that people came to year after year. Like a rite of spring.”

As his parents aged it became more and more difficult for them to manage the garden on their own, and by the end of the decade, it began to decline. But in 1999, Gray stepped in and began to revitalize it, assembling a collection of award-winning tall bearded irises that once again began drawing thousands of visitors. With help from his longtime friend (and future wife), Sandy Tyler, the garden regained a position of prominence in the New York City metropolitan area.

But time moves on, children grow up, and even the best laid plans can begin to change. In 2005, after his sons chose to move to attend college in Savannah, Stan decided to make the leap himself, relocating to the Coastal Empire and bringing his collection of irises, and expertise, to the Coastal Georgia Botanical Gardens (CGBG).

“As you might imagine,” he says, “people were not happy to learn that their annual pilgrimage to the iris garden would be coming to an end, and honestly, dismantling that garden was one of the hardest things I’ve ever had to do. But at the same time, I was excited about the possibilities of growing irises in a totally new climate, and Savannah, Georgia seemed like the perfect place to try it.”

What followed was years of trial and error. Gray tested different varieties to see which could handle the region’s soil and weather, gradually building what would become one of the largest public, non-commercial iris displays in the world.

In 2007, Gray planted 340 tall bearded irises from the New Jersey garden into an area set aside at the Botanical Gardens. Unfortunately, this somewhat ambitious beginning was met almost immediately with a devastating setback. By late summer of 2008, nearly eighty percent of the plants he had brought down with him were lost to bacterial soft rot, a problem traced to an overly rich compost in the soil.

“I knew then,” he says, “that this wasn’t going to be an easy, or short-term experiment.”

Undeterred, Gray undertook a complete rebuilding of the collection. This time, all of his tall bearded irises were carefully sourced from both retail and wholesale growers. Improvements were made to the planting environment, with soil enhancements provided through the support of Chatham County. In the years that followed, his experiments varied in success, largely influenced by shifting climatic conditions. “Over time,” he says, “the challenges proved useful, allowing me to identify which varieties could truly thrive in this environment.”

“In the iris world there’s a phrase called ‘chill hours’,” he continued. “Chill hours are essentially the hours when the temperature is somewhere between 32 and 45 degrees. Iris ‘come to life’ in that environment, setting the stage for whatever growth they’ll have when the warmer weather sets in. Areas like the Pacific Northwest get five times the number of chill hours we get here in Savannah, which is why it’s such a great place for iris cultivation. Over the past decade, Savannah has been getting fewer and fewer chill hours, and eventually it will impact how well irises—and which irises—adapt to the environment.”

In 2015, Gray expanded his collection to include Louisiana, spuria, and Japanese irises, along with other species. Not all made the cut, but the experimentation paid off. “I learned which iris types and specific cultivars thrive in this part of the country,” he says, “and which are better suited to cooler and wetter climates.”

Gray’s collection reached a new level of distinction in 2018, when he was named one of five national stewards for the Louisiana Iris Species Preservation Project. As a result, his garden became home to the second-largest collection of Louisiana iris species in the world. This designation marked not only a milestone in the collection’s history but also underscored its growing importance as a center for research, education, and the long-term preservation of these remarkable plants.

Today, Gray’s “Rivers of Iris” winds its way through the grounds of the Botanical Gardens, delighting not just iris enthusiasts, but anyone who enjoys nature and the sea of color it provides. “This really is a labor of love,” he says, “and I’m grateful not only to contribute to the Botanical Gardens, but also for their support, the support of the county, and the support of UGA.”

Getting the Word Out

“Not many people realize this,” says Friends President Sherman, “but Stan is not compensated for the work he does. He’s a volunteer, just like so many other volunteers who keep the Gardens in beautiful shape. But Stan is here just about every day, sometimes for four or five hours. When you’re cultivating one of the largest public displays in the world, it becomes more than just an avocation. It begins to takes on a life of its own.”

That dedication is exactly why the Friends group hopes more people will discover what’s right in their own backyard.

“Our goal is simple,” she says. “We want people to find this hidden gem. And if they do, there’s a good chance Stan will be here—ready to walk with them through the Rivers of Iris.”

The Gardens are open for visitors