Welcome to our garden...

Welcome to Walnut Hill Gardens! Twenty-five years ago, Lynn and Barry Stoll bought ten acres of the most wooded, hilly land they could find in Eastern Iowa. Over the years, they have gradually transformed the site into a series of gardens for both sun- and shade-loving perennials. As their “little hobby” got completely out of hand and took on a life of its own, it grew into a small perennial nursery called Walnut Hill Gardens. Walnut Hill Gardens is an official display garden for the American Hemerocallis Society, the American Hosta Society, and the Society for Siberian Irises; it has been featured on the 1993 national American Hosta Society convention, the 2000 National Convention of the Society for Siberian Irises, and numerous regional and local daylily conventions. Lynn and Barry are both garden judges for the American Hemerocallis Society; Lynn is also a garden judges’ training instructor for the AHS, and has served as Regional Vice President and a member of the AHS Board of Directors.

Garden visitors can enjoy the sunny perennial gardens which feature over 3000 different named daylily cultivars and many seedlings, along with over 250 different Siberian and species irises. In the cool shade of the timber behind the house, over 500 different hostas and other shade-loving plants can be seen along the paths that wind past the gazebo and through the woods. The gardens are accented by a collection of outdoor sculptures ranging from the whimsical to three large commissioned metal sculptures by the late Iowa City artist Eric Shaw. A three-quarter acre pond provides a nesting site to wild waterfowl.

Our Philosophy

We specialize in identifying and growing daylilies and other perennials which are well suited to our harsh Midwest climate, with its extremes of cold winters, hot summers, strong winds, multiple freeze-thaw cycles in spring, and capricious rainfall. Our goal is to provide you with the kind of plants we like: good garden performance, attractive flowers, and dependable hardiness. Our top priorities are Northern hardiness and vigor. Since we're a small family business, we do not have extensive stocks of most varieties -- so please order early;. This year for the first time we are pleased to offer for sale our first daylily introductions, which have been registered with the American Hemerocallis Society. We hope that some of these will appeal to you.

Many varieties are not listed here because of limited stock; however, if you are looking for a particular variety, please inquire; we may have it in limited quantities.