Where It All Began
Three Rhizomes That Changed Everything
In the fall of 2001, in the quiet weeks that followed September 11th, Bonnie found herself searching for something to hold onto. A neighbor stopped by with three bearded iris rhizomes — simple, knobbly roots that didn't look like much. She planted them anyway.
Those three plants bloomed the following spring with a richness that stopped her in her tracks. Deep violet falls, ruffled standards, a fragrance that lingered long after she walked away. Something shifted. She ordered a few more varieties. Then a few dozen. Then she started keeping notes.
By 2005, she had outgrown her backyard. By 2010, she had more than 200 named varieties and was shipping rhizomes to gardeners across the country. Today, PetalsWings grows over 700 bearded iris varieties — tall bearded, reblooming, border, dwarf, Japanese, and fragrant — on a family farm tended with the same hands-in-the-soil care it started with.
Over 20,000 orders have shipped from this garden. Every single rhizome is hand-selected, hand-packed, and sent with growing notes. Because what started as a search for beauty in a dark time became something Bonnie couldn't imagine living without — and couldn't imagine keeping to herself.