About PetalsWings
Family-grown irises, shipped with care since 2001.
About PetalsWings
Our Story
From three rhizomes planted in the wake of 9/11 to a thriving family iris farm — this is how PetalsWings came to be.
Where It All Began
Three Rhizomes That Changed Everything
The First Three
In the quiet weeks after September 11th, a neighbor stopped by with three bearded iris rhizomes. Bonnie planted them — and something shifted.
First Bloom
Deep violet falls, ruffled standards, a fragrance that lingered. She ordered a few more varieties. Then a few dozen. Then she started keeping notes.
Outgrew the Backyard
What started as a garden bed became rows. The hobby became a calling. Bonnie expanded to dedicated growing fields.
200+ Varieties & First Shipments
Over 200 named varieties and shipping rhizomes to gardeners across the country. PetalsWings was officially a family farm business.
20,000 Orders Shipped
Every single rhizome hand-selected, hand-packed, and sent with growing notes. The same hands-in-the-soil care it started with.
700+ Varieties & Growing
Tall bearded, reblooming, border, dwarf, Japanese, and fragrant — grown on a family farm in Ohio with the same love it started with.
Meet the Grower
"I don't grow irises to sell them. I sell them so I can keep growing them — and share something I truly love with people who'll love them just as much."
Bonnie is self-taught, obsessively curious, and deeply practical. She's the kind of grower who remembers the parentage of every hybridized variety she's trialed, who can walk a row of 50 plants and tell you which ones are worth keeping and which need more seasons to prove themselves.
Her philosophy is simple: grow fewer things, grow them beautifully, and ship only what she'd be proud to plant herself. She doesn't do variety drops for variety's sake. If a new cultivar doesn't earn its place over two or three seasons of trial in her own beds, it doesn't make the catalog.
She also believes passionately in teaching. Her growing guides, newsletter tips, and customer emails have helped thousands of first-time iris growers succeed where they might have given up.
Bonnie
Founder & Head Grower, PetalsWings
The Land & Process
Where PetalsWings Grows
Our farm sits on well-drained loam soil with full southern exposure — ideal conditions for bearded iris, which need at least six hours of direct sun and excellent drainage to thrive. We don't rely on irrigation in normal seasons; the land does its job and so do we.
Growing irises at scale is a slow art. Rhizomes take a full growing cycle to establish after planting, bloom their first season, and then need dividing every three to four years to stay productive. We're always working one to three seasons ahead.
Spring Bloom & Selection
Each May, we walk every row and flag the strongest bloomers for division. Off-types and underperformers are pulled.
Summer Division
After bloom, we divide established clumps and replant fans. Each fan is trimmed, labeled, and given three weeks to callous before shipping.
Late Summer Shipping
We ship bareroot rhizomes from late July through September — the ideal planting window for fall establishment and spring blooms.
What We Stand For
Our Values & Mission
Six principles guide every decision we make — from which varieties we grow to how we pack your order.
Family-Grown Quality
Every rhizome shipped from PetalsWings was grown, divided, and selected by family hands. No contracted growing, no wholesale stock. What you plant came from our garden.
Sustainable Growing
We avoid synthetic pesticides in favor of cultural controls — proper spacing, good drainage, and soil health. The land that feeds our irises is worth taking care of for the next generation.
Community Education
Bonnie's been teaching new growers since day one. Our free growing guides, newsletter tips, and personal email replies are part of the service — because well-informed gardeners grow better irises.
Hand-Selected Rhizomes
Every rhizome is dug, inspected, and chosen by hand. If it doesn't meet our standard — strong fans, clean roots, healthy tissue — it stays in the ground.
Honest Growing Guides
We tell you what actually works, not what sounds impressive. Our guides come from 20 years of trial in Ohio clay, not a textbook.
Bonus in Every Box
For every 5 rhizomes you order, we tuck in an extra — our choice, our treat. It's our way of saying thanks and maybe introducing you to a new favorite.
Ready to Grow?
Shop All 700+ Varieties
Tall bearded, reblooming, dwarf, fragrant — find your perfect iris and have it growing in your garden this season.