Irises of the Day. "Fresh Start". And Others. 5.25.19

Tall Bearded Iris "Fresh Start".  5.25.19

 Today's "Iris of the Day" is "Fresh Start", a newer introduction from Schreiners'.  It's a big flower, tall stem. Fell down in the rains, so I tied it to a bamboo stick.  Nice color and bright appearance.  Not much by way of fragrance  This is not a "me too" iris in my bed.  No others in my garden look like it.

Among the others, "Edith Wolford" lightened up when fully open, so now is the typical appearance.

"Accent" is a blooming machine.  It also held up in the rain.

New, reblooming variety "I'm Back" has a nice flower, but the stems are very short.  I suspect that's because this is it's first year, and the rhizomes have not built up enough power to make a taller stalk.  I hope so, otherwise it would be culled.  One foot is just too short for such a big flower.

Historic Tall Bearded Iris "Accent".  5.25.19

Tall Bearded Iris "Edith Wolford".  5.25.19

 "Padded Shoulders" is also kind of a blooming machine.  Very nice.

Tall Bearded Iris "I'm Back". 5.25.19

Tall Bearded Iris "Padded Shoulders".  5.25.19

Iris Bed.  5.25.19

"Immortality" continues to shine.  It's almost luminescent.

Iris of the Day. Los Coyotes. 5.17.19

Modern Bearded Iris "Los Coyotes".  5.17.19

 The irises pictured today have some similarities in their color distribution, although nuances of the colors vary.  In addition, the shapes and sizes vary.

I bought "Los Coyotes" about 5 years ago.  This iris is among the rescues that I collected from around the yard last summer, and this is the first time that it has bloomed so nicely.  No scent that I can appreciate.  The flowers are lush, large, and have that classic yellow standards, brushed brown falls that is notable for "Honorabile" as well.  In fact, "Los Coyotes" looks like a tetraploid, more ruffled and larger descendant of "Honorabile"

Speaking of which, "Honorabile" is blooming too.  Much smaller, this iris falls into the category of "miniature tall bearded".  Honorabile was developed by Lémon in 1840, although there is debate about whether the current version is really Honorabile or is a different variety called "Sans Souci".

On to "Accent", this iris is larger then "Honorabile", but the flowers are smaller and not as ruffled, but taller stems, than "Los Coyotes".   "Accent" was developed in 1952.  The falls are more of a burgundy color, compared to "Honorabile" or "Los Coyotes" and the shape is that of a mid century tall bearded iris. 

Historic Bearded Iris "Honorabile".  5.17.19

 Finally, there is "Shah Jehan".  This iris has a similar effect, although compared to the others in today's selection, the falls have a more purple coloration.  The plant is taller, with a taller flower stem, compared to the others.  "Shah Jehan" is significantly older, having been developed by W. Neel in Vanouver, Canada, in 1932.  "Shah Jehan" was named for the Mogul emperor who commissioned the Taj Mahal, and had more than 900 gardens build in Kashmir, according to the link.   This iris does have an elegant look, and might be nice in a larger clump.  With only one flower stem, so tall and ungainly looking, it would not be my first choice in a flower bed.

All of these are nice in a collection.  If I had more limited space and had to narrow down to two of this classic, golden standard / brown or purplish-brown or maroon-brown fall type, I'd go with Los Coyotes for the bigger, brighter, larger and more ruffled look, or Honorabile for the small but very nice, and obviously very historic feel.

Historic Tall Bearded Iris "Accent".  5.17/19

Historic Tall Bearded Iris "Shah Jehan".  5.17.19

Bearded Irises. Third Wave. 5.2.16

Now is the main season for my bearded irises.  More are blooming, in larger numbers, now than in any previous year.  Quite a beautiful flower.  I look at these pictures all year long.  I generally like the old historic irises much better than new modern varieties, but there are exceptions to that rule.  Sans souci, developed in 1854, was one of the main varieties that inspired me to look into older types.  This year, I may dispose of ones that I don't care for.  Some of the others are too vigorous and need more space, and some are just too susceptible to disease and never fail to disappoint.  Some may have just needed to adapt to my garden and climate.  Some, such as Loreley and Monsignor, took off and performed beautifully from the start.

Accent.  1952

 Caprice.  1898.  Fragrant.

Iris flavescens.  1813

Fall Fiesta.  1992.

Flutter-by  1924

Mrs. Horace Darwin.  1888.

Monsignor.   1907.

Monsignor.  1907.

No name.  Immortality X Fall Fiesta.  I crossed, 2012.

Front is Quaker Lady.  1909.

Sans Souci.  1854.

Rosy Wings.  1935

Loreley. 1909.

Bearded Iris Raised Beds

Bearded Iris Bed #1

 This week I added a layer of leaf compost to the bearded iris raised beds.  I covered the soil surface, except on and adjacent to the rhizomes.  I want to keep the rhizomes exposed.

This is the last thing needed for them this winter, other than minor puttering to remove dead leaves.  They look pretty sad with the dying leaves.  I think they are like that every year.

Bearded Iris Bed #2

Bearded Iris Bed #3

 The anemones that I planted last winter at the front of Bed #1 are growing now.  That surprised me.  I thought they might be dead.

There are a couple of plants to remove from Bed #1 but no hurry.  Those are a trailing rosemary, a couple of Laburnum cuttings, and some ginkgo seedlings.

Top L-R: Kissed by the Sun, California Blue, Immortality.  Bottom L-R:  American Classic, Red Dirt Road, Accent.

Iris germanica, with mushrooms.

New start of Owyhee Desert

 Bed # 2 is pretty much as I want it.

Bed # 3 has some reserved spaces for rhizomes from Old House Gardens, to arrive in April.  At the left are Egyptian Walking Onions.  I expected to pull those as scallions, but deer ate them.  The remainder have a chicken wire cover.

The established cluster od American Classic, Kissed by the Sun, Accent, Immortality, and Edith Wolford all survived their move from the Vancouver yard.  They should have good displays next year.

The Iris germanica clump, planted this spring as a new rhizome, has a mushroom companion.  I don't know if that is commensual or infecting.  It could be inoculum from the filler soil, or from the mycorrhizal inoculant.  The iris looks OK so I am leaving it alone.

Clump of Cherry Garden

New start of "Los Angeles"

Expanding clump of "Helen Collingwood"

New start of "Alcazar"

They new rhizomes, planted late summer, all look OK.  For reference, this is Owyhee Desert, which looks settled in and is making increase.

The Cherry Garden clumps also survived their moved from Vancouver and appear to have increased.  Last year's TLC got them growing rapidly.  They might look better in a different location.  I have 4 clusters of those.

Los Angeles did not appear to grow as fast as some of the others, but I think this rhizome, from "Historic Iris Preservation Society" is settled in.

Helen Collingwood grew one new rhizome last year.  This year it has increase of 3.  It is settled in and the rhizome looks robust.  It looks promising for bloom next Spring.

The last one, Alcazar, from Historic Iris Preservation Society this summer, looks settled in.  It has increase of 4 new buds to develop into rhizomes.  I'm curious about whether it will bloom next Spring. 

Not much else to do with the bearded irises now.  Hard to just watch them in dormancy, but that's the season.

Iris Bed #3. Moving established clumps.

Iris Clumps about to be planted.

Iris "American Classic" in new location.

 These are bearded Irises, moved from Vancouver to Battleground.  They needed more room. I'm phasing out some of the plantings at Vancouver, for lower maintenance there.  At the Battleground place they will have a lot more sunshine, and more room.  These clumps were 2 to 3 years old.

I moved "American Classic", "Kissed by the Sun", and the heritage variety, "Accent".

Of these, the "American Classic" and "Accent"  are very vigorous.  :Kissed by the Sun" is not.  That one might or might not have a blooming rhizome next year.  The others look like they will have 4 to 7 blooming rhizomes.

I dug these up.  Tried to get all of the roots with minimal disturbance.  Placed into plastic bags, transported, and planted them with as minimal disturbance as I could.  Trimmed off leaves with leaf spot infections, and watered them in.

Hot day, mid 80s.  Since they had minimal disturbance, I think they will be impressive next year.

Irises re-planted.  "Accent", "American Classic", & "Kissed by the Sun".

This bed is gradually becoming Iris Bed #3.  It will be mostly modern varieties.  There are a few heritage varieties in
this bed as well.

Iris Tags.  Purchased May 2012

Bearded Irises in Bloom.

Sunny Disposition 1989, Accent 1952, Bumblebee Deelite 1986

Accent 1952

 Irises in bloom.  These photos were from a few days ago.  It's raining too much today.  All of these were divided and replanted last year.  From clumps that were filled with grass and not blooming.  After dividing and replanting, I watered multiple times in the summer with 1/4 teaspoon per gallon of Miracle Gro for tomatoes.  Not organic.  But no pesticide or herbicide.  I considered this intensive care for these irises.  It worked well.  They recovered very well.  This method was successful.  The clumps are each in a tree circle of edging to keep out grass.  That helps a lot.

Sunny Disposition.  One of the first ones I grew.  There are starts of this one around the yard, and at the Battleground place.  Sunny Disposition is fragrant.  It blooms despite neglect.  It sometimes falls over in the rain.

Accent.  Identified via HIPS website.  Accent is reliable, rugged, takes neglect, and does not fall over in the rain.

Bumblebee Deelite.  Much smaller.  These have also multiplied and grow nicely.  I planted them in the fence rows at the Battleground place.   None of those bloomed this year.  It's a cute variety.

Redondo.  Doesn't look anything like the web photo.  Red type colors do not come true in photos and the internet.  This is also a smaller variety.  It was an early bloomer.

Immortality.  As of last year, considered a heritage variety.  Lush white flower.  I'm glad it recovered.

Gay Parasol.  Nice with a light fragrance.  Will either keep  here or add to heritage varieties at Battleground.

Pink Bubbles.  A border variety.  The leaves were not vigorous but the flowers are nice.  Also a heritage variety that I might move to the Battleground place, but also like here.

Edith Wolford.  Not a heritage variety yet.  This clump recovered very well with the treatment above.  Many flower spikes and each with multiple flowers.  Very nice.

Red Oriental Poppy.  I grew these from seeds in about 2002.  They needed a year or two to bloom.  I've moved them once since establishment.  Lush and bright.  Nice.   Last winter I read about growing Papaver somniferum, and found seeds at Portland Nursery.  Then I read about potential legal problems with growing that species.  So I didn't grow those.  Papaver orientalis is just as lush, and no legal issues.

Redondo 2000

Immortality 1982

Gay Parasol 1974, Pink Bubbles 1980

Edith Wolford 1986, Gay Parasol, Pink Bubbles

Red Poppy