From mid May to mid June there is something extraordinary going on in Denver Colorado.  There’s an Iris “Festival” at Iris 4 U Gardens.  I found this quite by accident.  It was one of those right side of the screen advertisements on one of my regular internet sites.  I don’t usually click on those, but the title was intriguing – something like Denver Iris something with a beautiful picture.  Well, I love to garden and we do have Grandma’s irises in our garden which bring us such joy every year when they bloom – so this little ad called to me.

So, it was one of these spontaneous day trips that we so love to take.  The very next day we took the short trip to Denver and buried in a very regular neighborhood is this amazing garden and it’s HUGE.  The entire garden is dedicated to bearded irises or as I call them  ruffled.  They’re in all sizes and colors and hybrids of all kinds. They stopped me dead in my tracks – OMG!!!  They are so beautiful!

I tried to figure out which colors are my favorites – a fun game at this place!  It will be different for every visitor, but I’m partial to the white/purple/lavender combos.  That’s not to say that the peach/butterscotch ones don’t bring a smile!  There’s something here for everyone who loves flowers to enjoy.

I noticed other photographers and a gentleman painting.  There are plenty of chairs and benches to sit and just enjoy the view.  There are folks around to answer your questions and even Iris Bob, the proprietor, walks the garden and visits with guests.  They offer a catalog as you enter so you can find the name of the iris that you would like to purchase when the time of the season is right for the transplanting.  There’s no store, no trinkets for purchase and no pushy sales.  This is a place to enjoy and if you should like to place an order there is a table with a couple of computers to do just that.  Hey – there’s even a rest room!!

We’ve lived in Colorado for nearly 14 years and this little gem was a surprise.  I love surprises like this!  And, I dare say that we’ll make sure we don’t miss it again next year.

You can find Iris 4 U Garden at 2700 West Amherst Avenue, Denver, Colorado 80236  303-789-4747

Lauren and Heather are sisters and they are like the daughters I never had. I love these girls. They are fun, bright, full of curiosity and a bit of risk takers! They are in their early 20’s. And, most importantly – they jump.

When I first got to know them it was such a treat as I only had a son and missed out on girl time. From day one we have always gotten along great. I’m in awe of their lives up to this point. I never really went anywhere. There was no money and no opportunity from my vantage point. A generation later and I see all the difference in the world in how kids view the world versus how I did from my little town in New England.

They were home schooled along with their older brother. They had only 1 TV in the whole house! Their mom, Barbara, gave them an amazing education that included each learning how to play a musical instrument and to speak a foreign language. Their dad is a pharmacist and a wonderful painter.

When Heather was a 17 she somehow got a foreign exchange student gig in Brazil for 12 months. Her parents struggled with the decision to let her go as I certainly would have also. She came back enlightened about a lot of things in life.

Her older sister then got a position as an au pair in Switzerland for a year. All expenses paid, plus a salary. Heather just got back from a year in Switzerland au pairing for a family “of means” and was able to travel, attend school and work on her French (in addition to the Portuguese she learned in Brazil). They learned to love different foods, appreciate different cultures, and makes friends from all walks of life.

Now, about the jumping. One of my favorite things I remember about visiting with their family was all the pictures they took. A couple of years ago, the girls decided to tour Europe for a few months. It was on this trip they decided that wherever they went they would take a picture of them jumping in front of a landmark or with a scenic background. I think their record is 7 jumping at once. (Try it sometime; it’s harder than you think). One of my favorites is when they got Barbara in the picture, having the time of her life, with the girls in her life.

I’m looking forward to them getting married and then it will be Brides and Bridesmaids jumping. I hope to be in one of their pictures someday. I hope to never lose the love of life that they have that includes being good, decent, honest human beings (and I did I say Christian?) that love to travel, love to have fun and love to jump.

By Cyndy Harrington