Iris

Another old plant with a brief bloom time is this iris. It was a pass along plant from a generous neighbor about 20 years ago. The bright yellow blooms light up a couple weeks of May. The large, heavy flowers tend to flop and the rain knocks them every which way.

The plants have spread over the years. They have never been divided. In October, I’ll cut them back to 6 inches.

The green foliage is a stately backdrop all summer.

Planted in full sun and on a very slight slope, the conditions are ideal for growth with adequate drainage. They are drought tolerant after established. I have never had problem with leaf spots or borers.
It is an easy plant. Sometimes I think about dividing them. Then I come to my senses and leave them alone. Doug Green in his “Gardening Tips” says, “You can't kill an iris by digging and dividing it.”



I may do something in fall before they take over the world.

Iris

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As garden cleanup continues and I dream about spring and next year’s garden.

Last week I cut the old iris leaves and dead foliage. It’s what I do at the beginning of October.

This week I covered the bed with a light layer of compost. It will be a tidier bed for the winter and I won’t have to worry about clean-up in spring or rotting foliage over the winter. The new leaves are beginning to grow.

I look forward to next May and the big display of yellow iris.

Most gardeners I know have this wonderful obsession. We dream and plan and look forward to another gardening season. Next year’s garden is always the best.

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Iris

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Fall air chills - highs in the 60’s and lows in the 40’s - over 5 inches of rain last weekend. And it’s time to trim the iris.

I didn’t do much maintenance on the iris this summer. I usually try to keep the dead or dying leaves cleaned up. That didn’t happen this summer. So, it was really messy. I cut all the leaves back to 4 to 6 inches.

The yellow iris is in a sheltered spot on a very slight slope. I have never had a problem with winter heave. I use a very light layer of mulch and that seems to be enough.

Although iris should be divided every 4 years, I have never divided this iris. For some reason, it seems to do OK.

Amy Stewart at Garden Rant in October 2 post “Throw the Bums Out“ says, “The thing with irises is that you're supposed to divide them every four years, and one way to remember that is to divide them during presidential election seasons.”

That seems like a great way to remember to divide, if that’s your plan. The incessant political propaganda on TV should be enough to drive you outdoors.

More iris information from Penn State Solution Source
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Iris

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Iris is a brief but stunning flower of spring.

Although there are re-blooming irises, the conditions for re-bloom seem to be dependant on weather, location, soil conditions and fertilizer. I don’t know anyone who has re-blooming iris. If you do, please let me know your experience and zone by commenting to this post.

All that I have read affirms that iris is one of the easiest perennials to grow. http://ohioline.osu.edu/hyg-fact/1000/1240.html

In my experience, it’s true. I cut off the spent bloom stalks when they finish blooming in spring. I cut the fans back to about 6 inches in late summer. Then I clean up all the yellowed or dried leaves. Some years I’ve put a light layer of mulch over them for the winter.

My iris grows in full sun, in a sheltered spot next to the garage on a very slight slope. I think I got lucky with the placement.

Our neighbors’ irises all are planted in full sun. Each spring it’s an amazing show of color.

Easy to follow directions for dividing iris are found in Better Homes and Gardens “How to Grow, Maintain, and Divide Bearded Iris.” http://www.bhg.com/gardening/flowers/perennials/how-to-grow-maintain-and-divide-bearded-iris/?page=2

Personally, I’m just too lazy to divide mine. When they get crowded some of the rhizomes may rot. Usually they are full again in a year or two. I’m not sure that all varieties would put up with this kind of neglect.

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Garden Awakening

The garden explodes in spring.

There is a lot happening in the garden right now. I’ve managed to divide the liriope, daylily, and coreopsis. About half of the cleanup is done.

The daffodils,

mini iris,

glories of snow,

hellebores are blooming and

I have a load of mulch in the driveway.

As lemon thyme, bleeding heart, mums, coreopsis, lupine, columbine turn green, I’ve got a lot of mulch to move.

Fall Garden Cleanup

A few days of badly needed rain has caused a temporary halt in garden cleanup.

In the last few weeks, I managed to get a few things done.

Even though we have not had a frost, I’ve been emptying pots and composting the potted annuals. The pots were cleaned and stored for the winter. The pot pictured is ready to roll toward the compost bin. I never do a great job of cleaning pots before I put them away. I dump the soil and brush out a little remaining soil. I use new soil mix in spring and I haven’t had any problems. I guess this is OK but I’m sure there are better methods.

I cut back a few of the black-eyed Susan and cone flowers. I leave some for the small birds to feed on. They like the little seed heads.

I cut back and cleaned the iris bed a few weeks ago. This is the first year I’ve done this. Most years I tend to ignore the mess altogether. The yellow iris blooms profusely every year with almost no care at all. I hope the iris like being neat and tidy for a change.

The peonies were cut off and discarded in the trash. They were a mildewed, unsightly mess.

I picked the last of the tomatoes and pulled the plant the other day before the rain. I harvested 8 green tomatoes and one almost ripe. Most of them will ripen off the vine – or become green fried tomatoes. Next year I want to try Brandyboy tomatoes if I can find them. It's large beefsteak that I’ve heard good things about from other gardeners.

If we get a frost this weekend, I’ll cut off canna stalks. I’ll dig up the canna tubers with a garden fork. They will be dried and stored in peat moss in a cool place for the winter. The rest of the annuals will need to be cleaned out of the garden.

Hopefully, I’ll have time to spread some compost and mulch before leaf raking starts in earnest.