Showing posts with label Cherry Garden. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Cherry Garden. Show all posts

Saturday, May 03, 2014

Irises. 5.3.14

Iris Beds #2 and #3.  5.3.14
 Now we are past some 80 degree weather.  I am hoping the bearded iris beds have taken their damage and the present iris clusters will recover.  The leaf fans appear firm and new leaves are growing.  I lost a few completely, as far as I can tell:  Gingersnap, Frost and Flame, and Deity.

This seems to be the blue / white  / purple stage.  Given the bacterial rot damage to leaf fans, I'm glad I grew bulbs in the iris beds.  The alliums and camassias look nice, with colors that complement the current iris flowers.
Iris florentina.  5/3/14

Iris "Red Zinger".  5.3.14
 Cherry Garden is tiny and the flowers are not rain durable.  I have 4 clusters.  I think I will narrow them down to 1 cluster.  They were not damaged by bacterial rot.

The Iris florentina is quite elegant and has a beautiful fragrance.

The Iris pallida dalmatica was not at all affected by bacterial rot.  It is quite tall, and also beautiful fragrance.

The Iris pallida variegata was also not at all affected by bacterial rot.  Not blooming yet.  Much smaller than the nonvariegated version.

Red Zinger is striking, but small.  This would be a good selection for elevated setting or elevated container.  Fragrance is amazing.  I am not good at describing fragrances, but it is truly elegant.  Just hard to get to, because the plant is miniature.  Red Zinger was from a dried out rhizome I thought was dead, from sale rack, planted winter 2012/2013.  Last year it did not bloom but spread nicely.  Disease resistance seems fairly good.

Iris germanica looks more true to a wildflower heritage.  The fragrance is pleasant.  Disease resistance seems fairly good.

More to bloom soon.




Iris germanica.  5.3.14

Iris dalmatica.  5.3.14

Wednesday, April 16, 2014

First Irises. 4.16.14

Miniature iris Cherry Garden

Miniature iris Leprechaun's Delight
The first bearded iris are blooming.  Miniatures bloom weeks before most of the tall bearded.  Even though tiny, they are nice to look at.

Saturday, November 09, 2013

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.

Sunday, June 09, 2013

Historic Iris & Culinary Herb beds, progress report.

Historic Iris / Culinary Herb bed #2
This weekend I move more irises to the second raised bed.  I learned from last year's experiences.  Moving late Spring / early summer did not result in any negative consequences, and the irises I moved at that time flourished.

The varieties I moved from Vancouver were:  Cherry Garden 1966 (small variety), Pink Bubbles 1980 (small variety), and Gay Parasol 1973 (tall variety).  Any iris more than 30 years post introduction year is considered historic.  That makes me historic too.  I also added Los Coyotes 1992 - not historic.   I planted woolly thyme, which it looks like will stay very close to the ground, which I want.  The marigold sweet alyssum seedlings are about 1 inch tall.
Historic Iris / Culinary Herb bed #1
The first Historic Iris / Culinary herb bed.  Still in Bloom:  Quaker Lady, Iris pallida dalmatica, Shah Jehan, and Iris flavescens.  Iris flavescens is especially florifeorous.

Roman chamomile is too rangy.  After bloom, it will have to go elsewhere.  Greek oregano is also too tall for the small iris plants.  Lime thyme, French thyme, and sweet alyssum are ideal size.