Schreiner's Iris Gardens' Staff & Crew

Schreiner's Iris Gardens has been a family-owned and operated small business since its beginning in 1925. With the recent retirements of third-generation Ray Schreiner (2022) and Steve Schreiner (2023), today, third-generation Liz (Schmidt) and fourth-generation Ben Schreiner, are steering the company into the future. We also consider our hard-working crew as family, joining together to tend our plants and grounds throughout the year. They begin planting the rhizomes and nubs in September and October each season, carefully hand placing each plant, watching its annual journey from bud break to hand harvesting each summer. All this attention by our devoted Iris crew creates what we feel to be the best Iris locally, nationally and internationally.

While the bulk of our crew works only during our peak season from April through August, Schreiner’s maintains a core crew year-round. These long-time employees (some exceeding 40 years with us) keep Schreiner’s operating and looking its best. They assist with the thousands of crosses for new varieties; maintain precise inventory records; prepare field identification tags (so we know what’s where); dig and plant the 200 plus acres of fields and display gardens; drive trucks, tractors, cultivators and forklifts; weld, build, design, troubleshoot equipment and tools; research and implement current agricultural and work-place regulations; clean and sanitize the grounds and buildings; and, pack and ship millions of boxes of Iris annually.

The Schreiner “extended” family includes our fabulous office staff as well! These very dedicated and longstanding employees accept and process orders; field phone questions; prepare orders for digging; maintain wholesale customer records; correspond with and prepare orders for our international customers;  ensure compliance with phyto-sanitary regulations; handle all bookkeeping tasks; manage our social media presence and marketing campaigns; and so much more. They have all been with Schreiner’s Gardens for many years. They each add professionalism, precision, and great humor to our lives here at the gardens. 

At the start and end of each and every colorful and exciting Iris season, we pause and consider all for which we are grateful and fortunate. Our customers and our crew -- both loyal and new -- roll in at the top of the list.

Thank you!

Liz (Schreiner) Schmidt and Ben Schreiner