What I Planted-Tall Irises

What I Planted~

This is the first in a series. I want to share what I plant/have planted in my gardens and what specimens are already there. Discovering new plant varieties and trying them out is fun! Just as some people like to thrift or any number of other hobbies, I like to collect and cultivate my flowers and (small) gardens. I have an aversion to tillers; I've never run one although I've been around them all my life. I have a compulsion to avoid getting into the trap of having to till garden all the time. Keeping the plots small allows me to do the work by hand by myself. I also use a lot of mulch. There's another benefit to all of that. I have less lawn to mow!

I add new varieties to the beds on an annual basis. Yes, sometimes things can start to get out of hand, but I try to be disciplined. The last couple of seasons' additions have been tall iris in the center bed out front.  This fall's new entries are the varieties Dangerous Mood, Cherub's Smile, Devil's Riot, and an orange whose name I can't recall. I can't wait for May!(blooming time)

The iris beds bring back memories of banks of those old fashioned ones that seemed to be everywhere when I was growing up. They were on the home farm, and at all the (elderly) neighbors, and at all the old homesteads I ever saw, it seems. Funny how a sight or sound like flowers or music can make the years just drop away. All of a sudden you are once more in that time.  I want to try to score some of those old fashioned irises somewhere. They still seem to be abundant in some areas.

The new additions-A couple of the iris pictured below are varieties I planted this fall, and the other two are were added a couple of years ago.

Photo Credits: www.irisfarmer.com a source out of California that has some 400 varieties available. I could spend a lot of time on that website.

I can't wait to see the Irises bloom this year, sort of mentally inventory what I've got-and decide what I'd like to add next.  They make great cut flowers, too. All those beautiful luxurious flower arrangments in the house make me feel quite extravagant. It's a nice feeling. Have a great week, friends. ~JB was here.