Later Blooming Bearded Irises. 5.23.19

Bearded Iris "Beverly Sills".  5.23.19

Historic Bearded Iris "Mrs. George Darwin".  5.23.19

 Now we are getting to the later blooming irises.  Soon, it will be back to home orchard and kitchen garden, which I've been working on.

With heavy and frequent rains, and chillier temperatures, many of the irises are more bedraggled.  Some of the tallest fell over ("Red Dirt Road" and "Play To Win").  These might benefit from support next year.

None of the pink ones look that great.  This is "Beverly Sills", one of the most promoted and awarded.  It's possible it needs another year, or a more favorable season.

Of the historic irises in the woodlot border, "Mrs. George Darwin" bloomed.  One fall was knocked off by rain, but the identification is obvious, and it is one that I bought from "Old House Gardens" a number of years ago.   According to the Historic Iris Preservation Society,  "Mrs. George Darwin" was developed in 1895 by Sir Michael Foster.  It's a small iris, and one thing is shows is how far irisarians have come in developing larger, more colorful, sturdier, more ruffled cultivars.  Still, it's nice there in the border.  From Wikipedia, George Darwin was the second son and fifth child of Charles Darwin, and was an astronomer and barrister.    Too bad, the iris that honors Maud Darwin doesn't even include her name!  She was Lady Martha Haskins "Maud" du Puy Darwin, an American Socialite who campaigned for women police officers, bore 5 children, and apparently lived the upper crust British life for the times.

The tall bearded "Edith Wolford" is a replacement for one I had earlier and lost.  Maybe it's still among those that did not bloom yet, after moving to better locations from the woodlot?  I don't know.  This has deeper color than previously.  Since this soil was amended with wood ashes over the Winter, and organic slow release bloom food in early Spring, the growth conditions may be responsible.  I've noted that others are also richer in color, larger, and more substance, than in the past (Immortality and the dark blue one that might be Blue Knight).   Who was Edith Wolford?  I don't know.  I found obituaries for four different Edith Wolfords, and a school named for someone with that name, but I don't know who the iris was named for.  If I pick an "Iris of the Day" from today's selections, it would be "Edith Wolford".

Tall Bearded Iris "Edith Wolford".  5.23.19

Tall Bearded Iris "American Classic".  5.23.19

 Now to "American Classic" and the unknown iris that I thought was "American Classic" but is not.  Like "Edith", this has more color and more substantial petals than I recall, which may be due to the gardening  conditions.  Both were planted last summer, and may need more time to establish to become taller and make more flowers, but this is a very good start.  The other, now unidentified variety, is in the general class of "blue plicatas", which describes the white background and blue edges, but there are many such cultivars.  So far I have not found one exactly like this one.  The closest so far is "Blue Shimmer", via Historic Iris Preservation Society, developed in about 1942.  But I'm not sure that is correct.

Tall Bearded Iris, Unknown Name ("No-ID").  Blue Shimmer?  5.23.19

Iris if the Day. "Sea Power". And Others. 5.21.19

Sea Power.  5.21.19

Sea Power.  5.21.19

 Today's iris of the day is "Sea Power", a modern, very ruffled blue tall bearded iris.  I've had it several years but this is the first bloom.  Mildly fragrant.  Nice color, big blue flowers.  Very nice.

I may have to re-label that previous "American Classic".  I think that wasn't from my own originals but rather a curbside pile of rhizomes with a "free" sign.  I didn't know I still had"American Classic" and bought a new one last summer from Schreiners.  That new one is about to bloom, with what appears to be richer color and more modern form.  That brings the question, what is is iris, and I don't know,  I will need to recaption when I'm on my computer.

The others are new photos of varieties that continue to bloom,  It's nice walking around looking at them and sniffing for scent.

Opening Flower, American Classic.  5.21.19

Immortality

Dark Blue Iris.  Blue Knight?  Before the Storm?  5.22119

Sunny Disposition.  5.21.19

Los Coyotes.  5.21.19

Two More Rescued Iris Cultivars. 5.19.19

Bearded Iris "American Classic".  5.19.19

 These are two more rescues from the woodlot.  Now having bloomed, I can identify them.  It's a little like going through an o,d closet or attic and finding clothes that are useable and liked.

"American Classic" is modern, developed by Schreiners in 1996.  "Gay Parasol" is modern to my eyes, but also considered historic, developed by Schreiners in 1973.

Historic varieties are at least 30 years old.  This  one has nice color and form, and a little bit of ruffle, but is not as big and lavish as many of the 21st century developments.  Now that they are identified, I'll label them again and move them to big iris bed when they are dormant.

Today while delivering meals, I saw a large, obviously many-years ago established, border of Gay Parasol.  The house  is much older than the 1973 date, so it's possible that this iris was planted there 20 or more years ago.  There were others that I could not identify.  All very nice.

Bearded Iris "Gay Parasol".  5.19.19

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