[1] Sturtevan established a commercial plant nursery, Glen Road Iris Gardens near Wellesley Farms, Massachusetts.

[1][6] Sturtevant was interested in the genetics of iris and in particular by the inheritance of color, which she recognized as a key factor attracting gardeners to the genus.

[1] In a period when little work was being done in iris breeding, Grace's efforts greatly expanded the color range of yellow-tinged irises.

[9] Other successful introductions during the 1910s and 1920s included the popular pink-shaded 'Dream' (1918) and 'Wild Rose' (1920), the lavender 'Queen Caterina' (1918), and 'Taj Mahal', considered the best white for many years.

"[1] She has been praised for the integrity of her approach to iris breeding, in several instances withdrawing cultivars from circulation if they did not live up to her standards.

[5] In early 1920, she wrote a brief article in The Flower Grower urging that "it is high time that some central body should gather together information on Iris matters whether it is the history of our garden favorites, the records of our present varieties or the opportunities for the future... Who, as an individual, can tell which [variety] is worthwhile for his small garden?

In 1935, Grace was the first recipient of the AIS's gold medal for outstanding service, which has only been given out around a dozen times in the society's nearly one-hundred-year history.