Farm and Ranch Museum Public Iris Garden

Robin Shadlow and Thomas Johnson at Farm and Ranch Museum
Keith Keppel and Robin Shadlow in the Farm and Ranch Museum garden
Keith Keppel and Robin Shadlow in the Farm and Ranch Museum garden
Keith Keppel and Robin Shadlow in the garden
Keith Keppel and Robin Shadlow in the garden
Irises in bloom at the Farm and Ranch Museum
Irises in bloom at the Farm and Ranch Museum
Resting after adding soil to the beds
Resting after adding soil to the beds
AIS 2022 Convention sign
AIS 2022 Convention sign
Adding the soil and bio-solids to the beds
Adding the soil and bio-solids to the beds
Iris bloom in 2022
Iris bloom in 2022

The New Mexico Farm and Ranch Heritage Museum in Las Cruces, NM is 47 acres packed with real stories about real people. The Museum’s research collections and archives document all aspects of farming and ranching in New Mexico.  Front and center are the iris gardens located in two large above-ground planting beds.  These beds were planted and are maintained by the Mesilla Valley Iris Society.  The irises which bloom in April were originally planted in 2019 for the 2022 American Iris Society National Convention. 

The interactive museum, which has welcomed visitors from all over the world, brings to life the 4,000-year history of farming and ranching in New Mexico. It is accredited by the American Alliance of Museums, the highest national honor for museums.  The enormous main building contains more than 24,000 square feet of exhibit space.   Once you finish with the irises, see if you can find the owls guarding the irises (under the peak roof), then buy a ticket and enter the museum and view the exhibits, stroll along corrals filled with livestock, enjoy several other gardens.