Showing posts with label Loreley. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Loreley. Show all posts

Wednesday, May 15, 2019

Irises Today. 5.15.19

Most of these are the same as other recent photos, but it wasn't raining today and I have a better camera this time.
Iris bed.  5.15.19
Mostly, Iris "Golden Caterpillar Climbs Snowy Mountain".  5.15.19
Iris Helen Collingwood.  5.15.19  Variety created in 1949 by Smith.
Iris Honorabile.  5.15.19  Variety created in 1840 by LĂ©mon
Iris Loreley.  5.15.19  Variety created about 1909 or before, by Max Goos & August Koenemann
Iris Alcazar.  5.15.19.  Variety created by Phillippe de Vilmorin in Paris, France. It first bloomed in 1905.
Iris "Pay To Win"  5.15.19  Variety created by Hager in 2002.
Iris "Red Dirt Road".  5.15.19.   Variety created by Schriener in 2013.
Iris "Red Dirt Road".  5.15.19
Iris "Sunny Disposition".  5.15.19  Created by by Zurbrigg in 1989.
Historic Irises.  5.15.19
Mislabeled Iris.  Maybe Kinkajou Shrew.  5.15.19

Sunday, May 12, 2019

Irises of the Day. Blutique, Owyhee Desert, and Loreley. 5.11.19

Blutique.  5.11.19
Today has three "Irises of the day". Mostly, the iris of the day is one that comes into bloom on that dat. I tried twice before to grow "Owyhee Desert" but had disease problems in those iris beds, and gave up. It turns out to be as nice in person as in the photos. Blutique was a surprise. I thought that maybe the ones I planted in early July might bloom this year (Owyhee Desert among others) but doubted the September plantings, such as Blutique, would bloom in their first May here.
i was wrong.  Most of the new ones are blooming.

I think "Blutique" will make an awesome large clump in a few years, and "Owyhee Desert" will be striking as well.

Both are fragrant.
Loreley.  5.11.19
Loreley has been grown since some time between 1900 to 1919. It's a sturdy variety, and seems more disease resistant than most. I've been growing it since 2012. The color variations make it interesting, and it's a nice coincidence that all three of todays irises have variegated flower patterns.
Owyhee Desert.  5.11.19

Wednesday, May 04, 2016

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.

Saturday, July 19, 2014

Bearded Iris Progress Report. 7.19.14

Historic Bearded Iris Raised Bed #2

Historic Bearded Iris Raised Bed #1
I really messed up the historic iris beds last year.  I gave them lots of TLC, compost, lime, coffee grounds, eggshells, and a small nitrogen boost.  Growth was lush and thick.  They looked great going into winter.

Then this Spring, they grew lush again, then were hit with multiple waves of bacterial rot.  Clump after clump was affected, with some losing almost all of the leaf fans, some losing a few.  A few were lost entirely.  Some have one tiny shoot remaining.

Meanwhile, the irises I planted in the fence-row, and in borders by the house, were entirely neglected and had no bacterial rot.  They bloomed reasonably well.

Realizing the TLC was the problem, but not knowing what aspect of TLC, I left the historic iris raised beds alone for the rest of Spring and early summer.

Meanwhile, this Spring I received an order of several varieties from Old House Gardens, and this week a partial order from Schreiner's.  I would not have ordered them, had I known the bacterial rot would be so challenging, but those orders were from some time back.

Today I weeded and culled Historic Bearded Iris Bed #2.  Culls:  All but one cluster of Cherry Garden.  That variety did survive the epidemic, but blooms too early, in the rain, which destroys many of the flowers.  The bloom time is short.  I still like it, very pretty, so kept one cluster.   I culled Romeo, which may be mislabeled, was ugly, bloomed only in Fall for 2 years, when the flowers are made even uglier by the rains.  Some varieties came through the epidemic like champions - Loreley, Sunny Disposition, and some fans of Los Coyotes.  The new rhizomes of Owyhee Desert and Gay Geisha barely survived, but have some small baby shoots.  The rest were in between.  From the areas where I removed rhizomes, or where there was no longer a cluster, I dug out the soil, replacing with powderized mole hill soil, without supplement or compost.  I planted the replacement Gingersnap  from Schreiners, where the prior one died.  I planted Mrs. George Darwin, Dauntless, and Crimson King where others were removed, in the replacement soil.  Dauntless has a suspicious area, may have bacterial rot.  Will try anyway.  I removed the weeds and all of the sedum, so there would not be plants shading the rhizomes.    I watered them in.  Debated doing that.  The summer days are hot, sunny, and dry.  I hope that means no further epidemic, and the watering helps them establish.  But no other TLC.

I pulled just enough weeds from bed #3 to plant the new variety "June Krauss".  That is also in un-enriched replacement soil.

I pulled some weeds and removed clusters of Chinese Chives from Historic Iris Bed #1. I liked the Chinese Chives there but they take too much room.  I dug out the first row, including the tiny remaining sprout of Shannopin and small sprouts of Flavescens and Alcazar.  I replaced the soil with unimproved soil, and replanted those 3 plants.  They may not have enough growth to bloom next year.  If they produce enough for growth the following year, that will make me happy.  I removed a few more weeds, watered the rest lightly because the soil is too hard to get the weeds out, and watered in the replanted irises.

I don't want to lose the Alcazar.  I hope it survives.

The Chinese chives are sitting in the shade.  They need a new location.  They are seedlings from my parents' yard, so I don't want to lose them.





Thursday, May 15, 2014

Bearded Irises, Better Photos. 5.15.14

Alcazar  1910
 I think Alcazar is generally larger.  This is the first year.  I'm surprised it bloomed at all.

Bumblebee Deelite 1985
 In 2012 I dug out the overgrown bundle of Bumblebee Deelite and replanted at various locations around the Battleground yard.  There were too many rhizomes, so I planted left-overs in the fence row.  They look nice there.

Caprice 1898
 While planting Tomato plants 2 beds over, I smelled the fragrance of Caprice wafting in the wind.  The writers are right, it's like Grape Koolaid.  But better.
Red Hawk  1995
 This is an excellent depiction.   The  color is richer than most photos.
Edith Wolford 1986
 The Walking Onions add a nice appearance to Edith Wolford bearded iris.
Mislabeled Pink Fragrant
 This was sold as Whole Cloth, which is blue and white.  Whatever it is, the fragrance is very sweet and floral.  The downside, it is less vigorous and more disease susceptible compared to some of the others.

Bearded Iris Bed.  5.15.14

Gay Parasol.  1974.
 Smaller flower than some modern tall beardeds, but very nice and very fragrant.  Gay Parasol.

Indian Chief.  1929.
 Really wanted this Indian Chief bearded iris to bloom this year.  And it did.  Also a nice fragrance, mild.

Gracchus.  1884.
 Gracchus bearded iris was one of the most disease resistant.  And all of these flowers from one rhizome.  Small but vigorous.

Unknown from Tennessee.
 Must be an early plicata, or an unnamed seedling.  Sold by a Tennessee company via mail order.

Red Zinger.  1985.
 Miniature.  I grew Red Zinger from a dried out sale rhizome late 2012.  It didn't bloom last year.  I'm surprised, now it's vigorous.  You almost have to be on  your knees to smell them.  It's worth it.  A candy fragrance.

Loreley.  1909.
 Loreley historic bearded iris.  Almost like Japanese irises.  Some are fully open, some partially.  The white outline on the falls makes them stand out nicely in photos.   Sweet fragrance.  Same Tennessee company as the unknown.  Slow start, but this year very nice.  Seems to be disease resistant.

Bearded Irises.  5.15.14
I'm happy with the bearded irises, both modern and historic / heritage irises.  I thought they might all die off this late winter, but they are blooming nicely.  Some varieties have the most and largest flowers I've seen.

Some of the leaves don't look great.  As long as they grow out of it, I'm OK.

Sunday, May 19, 2013

Irises

Iris and herb bed
Lorelei
Iris germanica

NOID from Tennessee

Los Coyotes
The iris and herb bed.  Most of the newest heritage irises are yet to bloom.  They do have buds.  I think they are later blooming, and smaller, because they were planted this Spring.  Next year they should be a bit bigger.  It's nice to see them blooming the first Spring.

Loreley heritage iris.  1909.  Sweet fragrance.  The flower itself is floppy.  The color pattern on each petal is different.  This was from Iris City Gardens.  Planted last summer.
















Iris germanica.  This was planted this spring.  1500.  From Old House Gardens, planted this spring.  Fragrant.

NOID from Iris City Gardens.  Date unknown.  Not fragrant.

I plan to start a second raised bed for heritage irises and favorite ones, especially scented, and herbs.  Then these in mixed beds and the kitchen garden will have a better spot.

Los Coyotes.  Not a heritage variety.  I like the form and colors.  Like many modern irises, it flopped over in the rain.  No fragrance.  I do like the flower but not the flopping.  Haven't decided if it will be in the iris bed or I might give it to Ning for his iris border.











Iris florentina.   1500.   Nice scent.    Smaller than I expected, but it was planted this spring.  Maybe next year it will be larger.  from Old House Gardens.
Iris Florentina