Smokin Heights

31/08/2026

29/08/2026

The weeding department at Smokin Heights has been hard work!
Ariana and her beautiful mare Tango happily shared a video with us tonight! Here is the progress so far......💜💜💜

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28/08/2026

Today was a surprise. The weather was really warm out weeding, to the extent both Bailey and myself could feel our skin burning! We were very thankful for some cloud cover.
I had a little reprieve from weeding, while I waited on the Farrier to trim the pony and Quarter horses feet. Rhaine has a specialised Farrier come in for her feet so she had a tie up lesson instead!
I have bred birds most of my adult life. I now only own a pair of Major Mitchell's, which I love dearly. The hen is a new hen since earlier in the year and a young bird at that. Just 2 years old. I have noticed the racket they have been making in their enclosure which tells me they had eggs and to my astonishment ,'Yes' they have eggs. Lets see how this all works out......I am excited to see!!
Back to iris the Aril Breds are putting on good growth with the beautiful sunshine we are experiencing.
We have cleaned the new release and all the median varieties. Bailey and myself are currently working our way through the 'D' Tall Bearded Varieties.🥵
Pretty boring but weeding continues tomorrow 😊
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27/08/2026

Today has been quiet contemplation day, while Bailey and myself smashed out 4 1/2 rows of weeding (225 metres worth). Doing what I do best on emotionally difficult days. Work!

Listening to the birds, the wind through the grass, sheep calling and our horses running around.

Bailey was gently singing songs to his music in his ear pods, I looked to the sky to see wispy clouds. I like to think of them as angel wings as my brother would of celebrated his 49th Birthday today, if he was still alive. The past 2 days we have had a dragon fly in the field with us and the lady birds are in abundance too.

I forever grateful for all the positives in our life and the body I have been given to do the work that I do.

My brother Damien is always remembered and never forgotten.🥰

Weeding continues tomorrow!

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26/08/2026

Tonight we are just taking a quick minute before the day ends to be grateful for the little things. As we enjoy our hot cup of tea and a moment of quiet after a busy day. ☕

✨What is one good thing that happened to you today? Share some good vibes with us below! 💜💜💜

25/08/2026

✨ Bloom of the Week #12 – Stardust Evening ✨

This week's Bloom of the Week is Stardust Evening, and it's one that really rewards a closer look.

What makes this iris particularly interesting is the unusual silvery backing to the petals, which contrasts dramatically with the deep purple upper surface. From one angle you see rich, intense purple; from another, the silvery reverse catches your eye and adds an entirely different dimension to the bloom.

It's little details like this that make irises so fascinating, there's often much more going on than first meets the eye.

What do you think of the unusual colouring of Stardust Evening?

24/08/2026

For the last 10 years, Bailey has been deep in the world of variegated foliage! 🌱

✨While every passionate hybridiser keeps their ultimate goals a secret, the mission here is clear. Bailey is tackling the three biggest hurdles in variegation:

⚡ Growth – Speeding up development.
🧬 Stability – Keeping those beautiful leaves locked in.
🌿 Branching – Creating beautiful stems.

The journey continues, and the results are going to be worth the wait!

Tonight's photo's are mostly of the varieties Bailey has introduced along the way! 💜💜💜

23/08/2026

As September looms, we are busy preparing for the 2026/2027 season at Smokin Heights!

You might notice a few fresh changes next time you visit our website.

We have introduced a brand-new Member Portal to help you stay connected with us.

We have also streamlined our catalogue categories under a single "Shop" banner for quicker, more direct browsing.

When shopping, please double-check your sections before finalizing your order. A Standard Dwarf Iris is quite different from a Tall Bearded Iris, and we want to ensure you get exactly what you are looking for!

Please note that we will begin digging orders in January, first order received, first order dug, following the Christmas and New Year period.
Waiting until January allows us to:

Avoid the holiday postage rush. Being in a rural area means our shipping options differ from metropolitan services. This timeline ensures your rhizomes travel safely and in the best possible condition.

Maximize plant growth. Our late-growing varieties will have extra time to gain size and strength before harvest.

Thank you all for your ongoing support as we head into this exciting new season.

Head over to the website to check out the new look and join our member portal!

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23/08/2026

We see our fields of green and think to ourselves, what a wonderful world.....💚💚💚

21/08/2026

The progress is slow, but we think this clearly shows what we are up to!
Repetitive work!
We maintain fitness and strength to cope with the workload by participating in 4 group trainings a week. My eldest daughter is a Personal Trainer 😍

Our field will not be weeded in a week, but it will be weeded in time!
A bit of physical work most certainly does not hurt anyone! 💜💜