J.D., Elizabeth and Everett Long among the gladioli, circa 1920.

Centennial Farms & Ranches

Long's Gardens

Boulder County

J.D. Long started his business in Boulder in 1905, carrying seeds, bulbs, and plants.  He and his wife Cora acquired the original three acres and house in 1916.

Back cover of a 1915 Long's catalog showing a variety of garden produce.

Back cover of a 1915 Long's catalog.

Image courtesy of Long's Gardens.

The arrival of Woolworths in Boulder inspired Long to specialize in seeds, thus forming J.D. Long Seed Company. Nationwide distribution of a mail-order catalog filled with gardening advice promoted rapid business growth.  He received national recognition from the New England Gladiolus Society and the North American Gladiolus Council in the 40s, but Irises became the main crop in the 60s. Due to the growth of Boulder, the farm is now only one mile north of downtown Boulder and completely surrounded by the city. At the time of its Centennial Farms award the business was in its 112th year.

 
Everett Long among rows of gladioli, around 1950, with the foothills in the background.
Catherine Long as a toddler, with irises at Long's Gardens in 1952.
Everett Long with irises in the late 1930s.
Irises in bloom at Long's Gardens.
J.D. Long with irises in the 1940s.
J.D. Long in an onion field north of the house at Long's Gardens, circa 1917.
Long's Gardens catalog illustration.
Old Long's Gardens seed packet.
Present day field and buildings at Long's Gardens.
Long's Gardens house, buildings and rows of irises in the 1920s, viewed from the south.
Long's Gardens second generation, Carleton, Elizabeth and Everett Long, late 1980s.
Cathering Long on a tractor with newly planted irises, 2005.
A man on a tractor working a field of irises, part of Long's Gardens, in the 1950s.
Members of the Long family (seated) with their Centennial Farms certificate.
Members of the Long family with their Centennial Farms sign.
J.D., Elizabeth and Everett Long in a strawberry field, 1918.
Part of 1915 Long's Garden Guide catalog cover with pansies and other flowers..

Year Awarded

Year Founded