Located in Essex County, New Jersey, Presby Memorial Iris Gardens is a botanical garden. The nearest town is Upper Montclair, about 700 m away (Presby Memorial Iris Gardens lies NW of town). It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Presby Memorial Iris Gardens is a nonprofit, living museum specializing in iris flowers, located at 474 Upper Mountain Avenue, Montclair in Essex County, New Jersey, New Jersey, United States. The gardens are situated on 6.5 acres. Adjacent to the gardens is a Victorian house, the Walther House. The house is open to the public the hours are limited, the entrance has a seven step staircase and is home to a museum shop and headquarters for the Citizens Committee that oversees the gardens. Following financial problems in 2008 and 2009, ownership of the gardens was transferred to Essex county, who bought the Walther House for $1.1 million in order to give the gardens a better financial standing. The county then leased the gardens back to the Presby Memorial Iris Gardens for $1. While Essex County owns the property, the actual iris beds are maintained without taxpayer funds. Rather, they...From the Wikipedia article “Presby Memorial Iris Gardens”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Presby Memorial Iris Gardens the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 58° (ENE) at the June solstice and 121° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 303° (WNW) in June to 239° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 73° in summer but only 26° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:01 AM | 90° E | 7:09 PM | 271° W | 49° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:26 AM | 58° ENE | 8:33 PM | 303° WNW | 73° | 15h 07m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:45 AM | 89° E | 6:56 PM | 271° W | 49° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:19 AM | 121° ESE | 4:33 PM | 239° WSW | 26° | 9h 14m |
Azimuth is measured clockwise from true north (90° = east, 270° = west). Computed for 2026; values change by less than a degree from year to year.
Golden hour & blue hour by month
Gardens are best on bright overcast days or early mornings when dew is fresh and the wind is calm.
| Month (15th) | Blue hour starts | Sunrise | Golden hour ends | Golden hour starts | Sunset | Blue hour ends | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 6:50 AM | 7:20 AM | 8:02 AM | 4:12 PM | 4:54 PM | 5:24 PM | 9h 34m |
| February | 6:24 AM | 6:52 AM | 7:30 AM | 4:53 PM | 5:32 PM | 6:00 PM | 10h 40m |
| March | 6:42 AM | 7:10 AM | 7:46 AM | 6:27 PM | 7:04 PM | 7:31 PM | 11h 54m |
| April | 5:50 AM | 6:19 AM | 6:55 AM | 7:00 PM | 7:36 PM | 8:05 PM | 13h 18m |
| May | 5:09 AM | 5:40 AM | 6:20 AM | 7:29 PM | 8:08 PM | 8:39 PM | 14h 27m |
| June | 4:52 AM | 5:25 AM | 6:07 AM | 7:49 PM | 8:31 PM | 9:04 PM | 15h 05m |
| July | 5:06 AM | 5:39 AM | 6:19 AM | 7:48 PM | 8:28 PM | 9:01 PM | 14h 50m |
| August | 5:38 AM | 6:08 AM | 6:45 AM | 7:19 PM | 7:57 PM | 8:26 PM | 13h 49m |
| September | 6:11 AM | 6:38 AM | 7:14 AM | 6:32 PM | 7:08 PM | 7:35 PM | 12h 30m |
| October | 6:41 AM | 7:09 AM | 7:46 AM | 5:41 PM | 6:18 PM | 6:46 PM | 11h 09m |
| November | 6:15 AM | 6:45 AM | 7:25 AM | 3:59 PM | 4:40 PM | 5:09 PM | 9h 55m |
| December | 6:44 AM | 7:15 AM | 7:59 AM | 3:47 PM | 4:31 PM | 5:02 PM | 9h 16m |
Local time (America/New York), including daylight saving time. Golden hour runs from about −4° to +6° solar altitude, so the morning golden hour begins during blue hour, before sunrise.
Milky Way & night sky
From Presby Memorial Iris Gardens, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 4.7 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 20° above the southern horizon. Our light-pollution model puts the sky at about Bortle 9 (inner-city sky), so expect visible sky glow; drive away from towns for better results.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | -2° | — |
| February | 5:14 AM – 5:14 AM | 0.0 | 11° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:25 AM – 5:35 AM | 1.2 | 17° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:25 AM – 4:35 AM | 2.2 | 20° | SE → S |
| May | 12:20 AM – 3:40 AM | 3.3 | 20° | SE → S |
| June | 10:37 PM – 3:17 AM | 4.7 | 20° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 10:28 PM – 1:48 AM | 3.3 | 20° | S → SW |
| August | 9:40 PM – 11:50 PM | 2.2 | 20° | S → SW |
| September | 8:41 PM – 9:51 PM | 1.2 | 17° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:49 PM – 7:49 PM | 0.0 | 11° | SW → SW |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | -1° | — |
| December | Below 10° in darkness | — | -19° | — |
Window when the galactic core is at least 10° high during astronomical darkness on the 15th of each month. Pick nights within a few days of the new moon. Plan exact nights with the Milky Way planner.
Estimated sky darkness: 9 Bortle 9 — Inner-city sky. Only the Moon, planets and a few bright stars are visible. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 17.75 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 6.0+ to show low on the northern horizon here.
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show September as the clearest month (about 51% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (64%). July is the warmest month and January the coldest, which matters for gear, snow access and how long batteries last at night.
Average cloud cover (%)
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| High °F | 67 | 71 | 73 | 91 | 88 | 96 | 102 | 101 | 96 | 92 | 75 | 71 |
| Low °F | -2 | -3 | 0 | 24 | 33 | 44 | 52 | 53 | 43 | 28 | 14 | 6 |
| Precip. (in) | 3.1 | 3.4 | 3.9 | 3.9 | 3.8 | 4.7 | 4.5 | 4.4 | 3.8 | 4.4 | 3.6 | 4.4 |
Monthly climatology for the surrounding 1° grid cell from NASA POWER (MERRA-2). Mountain sites can be colder and cloudier than the cell average.
Photography tips for this botanical garden
- A macro lens or close-up filter opens a world of detail — try a shallow aperture against a soft background.
- Many gardens restrict tripods or charge for photography; check the rules before you go.
- Backlit petals glow; position yourself so the sun is behind the flower.
- Seasonal exhibits (orchids, tulips, cherry blossoms) draw crowds — arrive at opening.
- Scout in daylight if you plan to shoot at night or before sunrise.
Season: Spring bulbs and blossoms, summer perennials and autumn color; glasshouses offer winter subjects.
Suggested gear: Macro lens, Diffuser, Small reflector. Work out exposures with the depth of field, ND filter and NPF rule calculators.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 25 km of Presby Memorial Iris Gardens, closest first.
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Botanical GardenFAQ
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Sources
Location data: Wikidata, Wikipedia. Sun, moon and Milky Way times are computed by LWPhoto Atlas for 2026. Climate: NASA POWER. Sky darkness is a population-based estimate (Walker's law), not a measurement. See data sources & licenses.