by Jim Ross
special to The Hancock News
Year after year, every May, as I approached the 522 Bridge to Hancock to my left and River Road to my right, I saw “Exline Iris Garden” and “Iris” signs along the roadside. I wanted to follow the signs, but there was always something else pressing for attention. Finally, this year, my wife and I followed the signs guiding us to the gardens.
When we reached 90 Silvers Road in Berkeley Springs, thousands of blooming irises of every imaginable color—even one nearly black, others quite rare, like Mexican Fiesta—welcomed us. One of the most diverse Iris gardens in the country, it boasts nearly 1,500 varieties on two acres. Annually, from around Mother’s Day to month’s end, depending on the weather, the gardens remain open for public viewing.
I met Jim Exline, who in 1973 started the gardens with his wife Twana, and Tonya Baitinger, who with her husband Gregg purchased the gardens in 2024 from Exline. Their daughter Sara, who maintains the website, was also on hand. Intrigued, I subsequently spoke in greater depth by phone with Exline and with Tonya and Gregg Baitinger.
Exline and his wife originally stocked their personal gardens with Irises and other flowers. Eventually, the woman from whom they were buying irises suggested they start an iris farm.
The original Iris Gardens, located on River Road, were moved to their present location in 1991. Looking back at 50 years of growing and selling Irises, Exline described it as fostering relationships. 
“One man wrote to me and said that his fondest memories of childhood were coming here year after year with his grandfather. One woman arrived distraught and said, ‘I had a bad day and need some solitude,’ stayed a while, then left. Two years later, she came back and said, ‘Being in this garden changed my life. I changed jobs, changed husbands, and now I’m ready to buy irises.’ I have a million stories like that,” he said.
What I heard was, “Come visit in May. Don’t ask why you’re here. Just be here. The Irises will take care of the rest.” 
Ready to retire, in 2024 Exline sold the gardens to the Baitingers, who had moved to Berkeley Springs in 2006 with the intention of building greenhouses for growing tomato plugs to sell to farmers.
“The challenge was finding some flat land. We found an ideal spot on the northwest edge of town. In 2007, we built our greenhouses.”
Their three greenhouses—300 feet long by 31 feet wide and located six miles from I-70—generate sales of around seven million tomato plugs annually.
“We mainly sell to farmers in southern New Jersey and the Cumberland Valley of Pennsylvania. Our plants cover about 650 acres,” they said.
Given Morgan County’s history prior to the 1950s as West Virginia’s biggest commercial tomato producer, back when the canneries employed thousands of workers, I was excited to learn about the Baitinger tomato business, even though they hand off the growing tomatoes to other famers.
After Exline announced he was ready to sell, the Baitingers became intrigued and a deal was struck.
Because Exline’s home abuts the gardens, he’s easily reached with questions and still helps greet visitors.
“He’s been awesome in teaching us about irises,” said the Baitingers.
“Irises are very forgiving,” said Exline. “If you plant them half an inch deep in a sunny spot, they’ll flourish.”
That doesn’t mean there haven’t been a few wrinkles in the transition.
“This year we lost a week to torrential rains when we’d otherwise have been open to the public,” Tonya Baitinger said.
Last year, during a dry spell, the Baitingers faced an unprecedented deer invasion.
“Deer won’t eat Irises, but they’re not smart, so they pulled up lots of rhizomes [iris roots] before realizing they’re unappetizing, and dropped them wherever they chose. Some even bedded down in the Irises. We put up a temporary electric fence baited with applesauce. When deer came for applesauce, they received a shock, which taught them to stay away.”
Last year’s deer invasion also raised concerns about whether the Baitingers would have enough supply to fulfill orders.
“We couldn’t replant the rhizomes without knowing what was what, so we sold them at a deep discount as mystery Irises. Still, we were worried we wouldn’t have sufficient supply to fulfill orders. Turned out, the situation wasn’t as bad as we thought. We had to refund only a few orders.”
The deer are not expected back.
Exline conducted most of his Iris sales in person. This year, with Sara’s new and improved website, the Baitingers are conducting most sales online.
Pre-May orders are considered pre-orders. No orders are taken after September. Rhizomes are dug and shipped in July through September.
“We’ve got to balance our inventory. It’s possible that some day we might have to limit pre-orders to ensure we have plenty left to sell in May,” said the Baitingers.
“We love having people come to visit. We’ve even had fourth generation customers,” said the Baitingers. “That’s what nourished Jim Exline and we feel the same way. One challenge we’re working on is that when the Irises are blooming is precisely when we’re delivering our tomato plugs to farmers. That’s driven by nature.”
Online orders can now be placed using the Exline Iris Garden website. Purchasers can pick up rhizomes in-person at the gardens in July through September or have them shipped.
Next May, visitors can find the gardens either using a GPS or following the “Iris” signs, which guide visitors all the way. Special deals can also be found on the website. Currently, ten rhizomes—some marked, others unmarked “mystery” Irises—can be purchased for only $30. The ideal time to plant Irises is August/September.