Here is my attempt at a deer unfriendly, drought tolerant border. My timing is bad - except for the irises, it would be better to plant in Spring or Fall. There wasn't much choice, since we just took title of the place, and I wanted to get started. On the plus side, there are lots of perennials on close out. The majority of irises are divisions from home, cleaning up beds that went to weeds, and separating some that desperately needed separating. A couple are new starts, and a few are from the new place, cleaned up and replanted. Two patches are left alone, other than weeding and applying compost.
The borders were prepped with a layer of compost, watered a couple of times but otherwise left for a week. That killed much of the invading grass and weeds. Then I dug in the compost, broke up clods, raked with garden rake, and planted. Finally, a layer of compost was added as mulch.
This border gets mainly Western sun, with some parts getting Southern sun. While digging, I repeatedly hit stone. Finally, I used a flat shovel, and discovered a walk made from pavers. It's cleaned up and left in place. The Irises are a mix, I did not label except for the new purchases. I'll know when they bloom. I should do a winter project of making labels.
The dry tolerant, supposedly deer-unfriendly plants include Lavender, Sage, Marjoram,
Monarda, Asclepias, Hibiscus, Oregano, Lemon Thyme, Rosemary, and of course the Irises. I did not plant mints or lemon balm because they are too invasive, but may plant some in the orchard where that doesn't matter.
Asclepias was an impulse buy. I had read about it but didn't expect to find any. It seemed difficult to grow and transplant, based on what I read. One problem is the long tap root, which apparently doesn't like to be disturbed. I broke a rule, and planted from the container without pulling roots out from the rootball. Maybe that will work. If not, it isn't a big loss,. They were 60% off. All of the new starts were on close-out.
This border is south of the deck and gets Southern and Western sun - hot! It includes sage, chives, Monarda, yarrow, Coreopsis, divisions from Bumble Delite Iris - a small variety, and a daylily. The daylily is not deer repellant, so we'll see what happens. Impulse. The chives was a sizable semi-dormant cluster that I moved from my yard at home. I like eating fresh chives in some sandwiches and in eggs, and they are nice to look at. There are some shasta daisies, which grow wild around the yard. I left those in place.
This is a closeup of that front border. There are also some chrysanthemums and lantana. I don't know if deer like those. Also some dusty miller, drought and deer safe, from what I read. Those sausage-shaped brown objects are pine cones.
This bed also gets southern and western sun. It contains 2 columnar apple trees, Red Sentinel and Golden Sentinel; some small shrubs, but mostly irises. Deer can destroy small apple trees, so I sprayed with deer repellant. The irises were the remainder of the divisions, I had removed from my home front yard, some rescues that were hidden in grass and under shrubs. Some had been sitting for a couple of weeks before planting, but irises are tough. I trimmed the leaves and stray roots, and planted randomly. Finally, I also planted the
Allium gigantium bulbs that I dug up from home, in several places, and and a dozen Allium that appear to be a bit smaller, in a mixed bag that I bought at a big store. I marked the locations where the Allium were planted, so I won't overplant them with something else, since they won't come up until next year. As onion family plants, Alliums are not liked by deer, and they go dormant for the summer so dry is not an issue. The big flowers are fun and bees love them.
Seed pod on plant. This is an Iris Pod, not and I-Pod. They would be cool in a bowl of pine cones and seed heads, or as part of a dried arrangement.
A little closer.
Cut, envelope labeled
Seeds shelled out. They are so loose, they just fall out.
The rhizomes arrived nicely packaged. They appear freshly dug, with no drying of leaf tips. The packaging was slightly moist but no mold or mildew. I get the feeling they were dug up for my order - nice thought. There were fewer roots and more top than some other orders - I don't think that's a problem, just a difference. Transplanting them from the humid summer of TN to the dry summer of WA, and the differences in soil and winter climate, they may have a bit of a shock.
No place set aside for them yet. Irises have limited root systems, so I planted in containers. As long as I keep them watered they should be OK. I can moved them into a sheltered spot this winter, if needed. If I get a location cleared and prepared, I'll move them into the ground. I'm curious about how they will do in containers, anyway. The largest really should go into the ground.
Loreley. Heritage Iris Preservation Society (HIPS) lists Loreley as developed in 1909. It appears to be a much smaller variety. Hybridized by "Goos & Koenemann"
Unknown Variety, "NoID" listed as "purple with silver beard, bitone".
Unknown Variety, "NoID" listed as "Lilac".
Helen Collingwood. Heritage Iris Preservation Society (HIPS) has better pics. They list Helen as developed in 1949. It's big (40 inches) which is opposite of what I said about old varieties. Also very vigorous. No comment there about fragrence.
This border gets mainly Western sun, with some parts getting Southern sun. While digging, I repeatedly hit stone. Finally, I used a flat shovel, and discovered a walk made from pavers. It's cleaned up and left in place. The Irises are a mix, I did not label except for the new purchases. I'll know when they bloom. I should do a winter project of making labels.
The dry tolerant, supposedly deer-unfriendly plants include Lavender, Sage, Marjoram, Monarda, Asclepias, Hibiscus, Oregano, Lemon Thyme, Rosemary, and of course the Irises. I did not plant mints or lemon balm because they are too invasive, but may plant some in the orchard where that doesn't matter. Asclepias was an impulse buy. I had read about it but didn't expect to find any. It seemed difficult to grow and transplant, based on what I read. One problem is the long tap root, which apparently doesn't like to be disturbed. I broke a rule, and planted from the container without pulling roots out from the rootball. Maybe that will work. If not, it isn't a big loss,. They were 60% off. All of the new starts were on close-out.
This border is south of the deck and gets Southern and Western sun - hot! It includes sage, chives, Monarda, yarrow, Coreopsis, divisions from Bumble Delite Iris - a small variety, and a daylily. The daylily is not deer repellant, so we'll see what happens. Impulse. The chives was a sizable semi-dormant cluster that I moved from my yard at home. I like eating fresh chives in some sandwiches and in eggs, and they are nice to look at. There are some shasta daisies, which grow wild around the yard. I left those in place.
This is a closeup of that front border. There are also some chrysanthemums and lantana. I don't know if deer like those. Also some dusty miller, drought and deer safe, from what I read. Those sausage-shaped brown objects are pine cones.
This bed also gets southern and western sun. It contains 2 columnar apple trees, Red Sentinel and Golden Sentinel; some small shrubs, but mostly irises. Deer can destroy small apple trees, so I sprayed with deer repellant. The irises were the remainder of the divisions, I had removed from my home front yard, some rescues that were hidden in grass and under shrubs. Some had been sitting for a couple of weeks before planting, but irises are tough. I trimmed the leaves and stray roots, and planted randomly. Finally, I also planted the Allium gigantium bulbs that I dug up from home, in several places, and and a dozen Allium that appear to be a bit smaller, in a mixed bag that I bought at a big store. I marked the locations where the Allium were planted, so I won't overplant them with something else, since they won't come up until next year. As onion family plants, Alliums are not liked by deer, and they go dormant for the summer so dry is not an issue. The big flowers are fun and bees love them.
This bed is entirely new additions, so they are not rescues.
These are American Classic (the largest plant) - amazingly vigorous new growth; NoID miniatures, either blue or yellow, that I rescued from near-dead rhizomes under a cherry tree, also growing fast, and Kissed By The Sun, which does not look so vigorous, but is finally putting on some growth.
Edith Wolford, which I thought I might have killed - also very vigorous rejuvenation. There is also a rescued miniature, growing very well.
Immortality. I thought these had the best chance, but are putting out average growth. More than some of the ICU irises, and less than some others.
The goal with these was to fatten the rhizomes, establish root systems, and get some increase in number of growths - looks like that is accomplished, more or less. I'm violating some iris growing rules here, so we'll see if this is successful, or if I've killed them. I hope I have SOME bloom next May - I will be disappointed if not.
Noting significant deer damage on the few anemic fruit trees currently there - 2 near-dead small apple trees, one may be apricot, and one European plum. I've sprayed deer repellent, placed special contributions from the dogs as supposedly fearsome "predator spoor", and of course there's that new fence. I've also given then a bit of water. The ?apricot? seems to be putting out some new growth, and so far, no new denuding of branches by Bambi.
I've also rejuvenated a front border, removing weeds, digging in compost, and plated iris rhizomes from there, and from home, and a few new ones. Iris are reported as deer-resistant, and will be a good water conserving choice when established. Ditto for the lavender, rosemary, oregano, and thyme that I planted. Rosemary smells so good. Once established these will need little or no water. Rounding it out, I've also planted some Monarda/Bee balm, which is deer resistant and attracts bees and hummingbirds, and Yarrow, ditto.
Off to a start. If the heat wave goes on for more than a month, it will be hard to keep going with the new starts, but most of the chosen plants are quite tough. The figs and apples were in containers, so needed watering whether I planted them or not. The perennials and herbs were also very cheap, 60% off, being on closeout because of the late season and who in their right mind is gardening now?
I walk past this every day. I water it occasionally so that it won't dry out. The original rhizomes are growing a bit as well. The pine cones are an impromptu mulch additive. I collect them when walking the dogs and throw them around on the mulch. They add interest, and eventually break down like the rest of the bark chips. They dont seem to cause a problem to the irises.
