More on Irises

It's raining and raining and raining and raining. Not the best for perfect form and durability of iris blossoms, but the rains are part of living in the Pacific Northwest.

I think this one is "Blue Knight". A contrast to the dark purple iris in the back yard.

Immortality. I will move this after it blooms. Immortality can rebloom in the fall if it's happy. The invading grass has been a problem, but by blooming it's identified itself for refurbishing.

Sunny Disposition. Also a rebloomer. I'll do a similar renovation after it blooms.

Edith Wolford. This is not the best time to move German Irises, but this plant was completely overwhelmed by grass. the leaves and rhizomes are weak and spindly. If it recovers, it will be more because of this plant's durability than my treatment. I thought this might be Edith Wolford, and after digging it up discovered a tag that confirmed my "theory". Lucky.

Bumblebee Delite - a small flowered variety. I need to clean it up so that it blooms better next year. Not fragrant.

"Liaison". It's been blooming for 10 years, and is is several places in my yard. I think it's time for a selected special location. fragrant.

Spiced Custard - a subtle color combination, bought at a big box store about Oct 2010, this is the first bloom. Nice. Not so fragrant. Mid size, more compact than some of the others.

This is the plan - edging to keep the grass out. For newer plants that are not too large, 2 or 3 can go into a group. For established selections, there may be one in a group. For rescues I may add several to the same group. These are slightly raised, to reduce risk for rot. The edging should keep grass out.

Field Trip to Shreiner's Iris Farm

Yesterday we made a trip to the Shreiner's Iris Farm in Oregon. These are some of the photos.

Grown for preparation of rhizomes for sale and shipping. Row upon row, beautiful irises as far as I can see.

Standing in the field.

Bought these 2, one as a replacement for American Classic, that I seem to have lost, and the other, Kissed By The Sun, is new to me.  I will plant them in one of the beds I'm preparing for improved iris growth.

Spring Bulbs, time to plant.

With so much demanding my time, I'm not planting as many Spring bulbs this year. More than that, I'm not ordering via mail order. I did pick up some packages at a big box store. There was a big bag with 75 daffodil bulbs (standard yellow "Dutch Master" and the ones below. Doubtless I'll add some more this fall. Not wanting to overdo it. Plus, there are hundreds in the ground from previous years, and some have probably multiplied.

The price is lower than last year. These don't seem to make it. I have about 25% or 50% survival, then it takes a couple of years to reach blooming size. Not sure why. They are usually quite dried out by the time I get them, which I think stresses the plant significantly. I planted this one in a slightly raised area, to avoid rot during the rains already happening and soon to increase.

Irises are a challenge even when established. The rhizomes need to be at soil surface. It's difficult to weed under and around them, so the tend to be very weedy. I plan to reduce the number somewhat this winter, keeping groups of each variety but not letting them roam all over the garden beds.

I've given up on bulb planters, and instead use a shovel, dig a hole about 1 foot diameter and 6 inches deep, and plant 5 or 6 at a time. That way there are nice bunches the following spring, instead of one bulb here and one bulb there.

According to my study program, I should take a 5 min break per hour. I'm taking about 10 min, enough to plant a few bulbs.

Irises have started blooming.

Each one that I look at is my favorite. Then another opens and THAT one is my favorite.

Inuendo. The first that I started here, now in their 9th year. They've been divided and moved a few times, and a few keep returning to the original location.

Edith Wolford. I never like photos of this iris, but in person it's amazing.

China moon.

China moon again. Sometimes close-ups are nice, but it's also important to see them in context of the garden. I'm not crazy about all of the flower pictures that show a decapitated bloom without including the rest of the plant or surroundings.

Bumblee Delite. A small variety. Lots of grass intermingled in this one.

Each year, I think the effort isn't worthwhile. Irises are difficult to keep clean, because their roots are so shallow, and the rhizomes are at ground level. This makes them almost impossible to weed. Then when they bloom, I just feel awe. They are worth it.

I have a few that I tried to start last year, from store purchases of rhizomes. They are a long, long way from blooming size - those little dried out rhizomes take a long time to become a blooming size plant, and many die over the winter. If I can keep them going, one might bloom next year. The other will likely take 2 years.

August Iris Care

The clumps of bearded irises are becoming crowded and messy. I didn't weed or water them this summer. They are not hurt much, if at all, by the lack of watering. The weeds didn't grow much due to the same factor, but there were still enough to need maintenance.

August is the perfect time to dig up and replant irises in this area. It's dry enough that they shouldn't rot when replanted, while they become established and the ground settles again.

This group is in a very raised-bed, with a loosely built retaining wall. The bed is about 2 ft high, constructed due to a slope. It is filled with yard soil (clay/sand) mixed with compost.

"Before" - This is the "found" variety, yellow standards with auburn falls. The ground was dry and loose, so they were fairly easy to dig.

I pulled out the weeds. That is much easier to do after digging the irises up. The leaves were trimmed, the oldest, deteriorating rhizomes cut off, and woven-together rhizomes were separated. In most cases, I separated down to 2 or 3 'fans' of leaves per new division.

Soil was supplemented with generous amounts of chicken compost and crushed eggshells (for the calcium). Some additional soil was taken from the garden, to raise the level back near the top of the wall. The dark-leaf tree in the center is the Hollywood Plum, planted in February 2009. It's grown nicely.

"You paid HOW MUCH for that puny thing? Yes, I did. Yes, it's puny. Impulse buy at local store. I added this one for variety. It looks too small to bloom next spring - we'll see!

What's blooming?

There are flowers everywhere. The dogwood finished, daffodils and tulips are long gone. The next wave is either "late Spring" or "Early summer".

More of "Edith Wolford" Iris.

The "Rustled Rose", grape-scent.

"Tamara" rose. 1st flower.

Clematis


Alstroemeria.

Red Poppies. The digital camera doesn't do justice with how red these really are. Seed grown, now in their 7th year.

Iris time.

Many of the irises are in full bloom. Here are a few.

"China Moon"

"China Moon"

"Pretty in Pink" (I think)

"Found Variety"

"Bumblebee Delite"

"Bumblebee Delite"

"Sunny Delight"

"Inuendo"

"American Classic"

"Edith Wolford"

What's blooming

Lots of bushes, trees, bulbs and perrenials blooming now. Lush and almost Garden-of-eden.


Miniature yellow iris - by far the first iris to bloom in my yard.

This lilac was sold as 'double French white'. Not exactly... but fragrant none the less.

Branch of Lilac tree - more and more beautiful each year, but also more and more out of reach. Time for some pruning this year?

Annual Ning Charlie & Baigo under the cherry tree. Each year I think it might die. Each year it's magnificent.

Red dogwood. Candy tuft ground cover. Daffys almost done.