LAUREL — In the early summer months, Muriel's Iris Garden is in full bloom with rows of colors sprouting from the ground.
With the fall season right around the corner, the iris blooms are gone at the 1525 East Maryland Lane address, but Muriel Zahm is already hard at work preparing for the next season.
“What’s happening is the Big Sky Iris Club is hosting the American Iris Society’s national convention. That will be in 2025,” said 81-year-old Zahm recently.
Zahm's garden will be one of six in the Billings and Laurel area toured in June 2025 during the national convention. Zahm said people from all around the United States are expected to attend.
“I’ve been told they will investigate my entire yard. Yeah. So I’m going to need volunteers for weeding,” she said laughing.
Zahm has help from her children with a social media page for her iris garden and throughout the year with her 1,000 varieties of irises. From Memorial Day through mid-June, the public is welcome to walk around her garden. Zahm encourages those who stop by to smell the flowers because "they all have different smells."
She has been selling iris rhizomes, which is the part of the plant the roots grow from, for 40 years and has 50 years of gardening experience. It all started when she ordered a pink iris from a catalog. When what arrived in the mail grew to be a "washed-out peach" color, she was disappointed. Another mother at school pick-up recommended that Zahm connect with a few people who were starting an iris club to get what she was originally looking for.
“Boy, did they fix me up with a pink iris. And many, many, many more,” Zahm said.
Zahm is now a member of the Big Sky Iris Club and is looking forward to the next few years. In the last few weeks, she has already planted 400 new varieties of irises from around the world and the U.S. to see how they will survive in Montana's climate and if they will bloom for the national convention tour.
“This will be a real trial for these iris to see which ones will survive in our county,” she said.
