The Nashville, TN Chapter of the American Iris Society

All weddings held at the Ellington Agricultural Center are conducted in the Iris Garden. We regret that we are unable to make exceptions to this rule.

Due to the sensitive nature of the irises and grounds, we cannot allow the garden to be rented or used for birthday parties, baby showers, Easter egg hunts, wedding showers, bachelor/bachelorette parties, or gender reveal parties. Any parties violating this rule will be asked to leave the garden by Ellington staff.

When you book the Iris Garden, the grounds of the Iris Garden itself, including the gazebo, iris beds, and the space contained therein are intended to be for your use only. One one event at the Iris Garden per day may be booked with MTIS.

While neither MTIS nor Ellington will be able to have staff or security on hand to block the premises from the public, most people will vacate and walk around the area out of respect. You may place temporary signs in the area requesting privacy for your event.

You may decorate the gazebo with fresh or artificial florals, flower petals, ribbon, fabric, and other standard wedding decor. We ask that you use the existing hooks and non-destructive methods of adhering decor to the gazebo. Please avoid nails, screws, brackets, or other hardware that would damage the surface of the structure or be a safety risk to other visitors. String, 3M hooks, wire, and masking tape are good alternatives.

The use of confetti, glitter, silly string, and balloons are STRICTLY prohibited as they create litter and can harm the natural ecosystem of the garden.

You may NOT pick any irises or nearby plants for use for your event, nor decorate the iris beds themselves.

A tent, chairs, tables, or a PA/sound system may be brought into the Iris Garden for your event, but MTIS does not have any of these items for rental. Please keep the sound at a reasonable level for our neighbors.

All decor must be completely removed from the premises following your event by dusk. No events may take place in the Iris Garden after that time.

No, neither the gazebo nor the Iris Garden grounds have electrical outlets.

The Iris Garden at Ellington Agricultural Center is open from dawn to dusk daily.

The Iris Garden contains a wide variety of irises that bloom at different times in April and May, based on their species.

Members of MTIS and the Ellington Agricultural Center take year-round care of the Iris Garden grounds, weather permitting. This includes weeding, treating, and cleaning the beds and ensuring the gazebo and surrounding garden features are clean and tidy.

As MTIS manages the Ellington Iris Garden, we request a minimum donation to our organization to help maintain the splendor of the flower beds and structures for all to enjoy. Please see our link above to book an event with our organization.

The public, accessible restrooms at Ellington Agricultural Center are located next to the Metrology Laboratory at the top of the hill. You can find them on this trail map of Ellington.

Yes, there is a parking lot with limited spots located directly next to the Iris Garden. For events at the Iris Garden, we recommend sharing the Ellington trail map that displays all alternative parking areas with your guests beforehand. No parking is allowed on the grass near or in the Iris Garden itself.

There is a mulched path leading from the Hogan Road entrance at Ellington around the Iris Garden that is fairly flat with no stairs. The iris beds are surrounded by grass, but the gazebo does have a concrete ramp on one side.