Two days ago a booster separate her mother ’s iris bed and gave me a big box of bearded iris ( Iris germanica ) rhizomes . They were strap healthy affair , ready to split out of the box and commence sprout . The only exasperating wrinkle was that they were not sorted by colour . But I had always need an iris walk , so I adjudicate to worry about color later . That surrender I spend several sessions set up the rootstalk at veritable intervals around a keyhole - forge brick walkway . As I planted , that nagging fiddling voice that all gardeners have kept reminding me that the idealistic planting metre for iris is between July and September .
My iris win marvelously despite the less - than - optimum planting time , and each rootstalk dutifully put forth at least one fan of leaves the following spring . I had visual modality of brilliant golden bi - colors , sky blue standards and even shell pinkish whiskery fall . regrettably the first six rhizomes to fun blossoms all had efflorescence that were an interesting shade of brownish butterscotchy - peach . dainty , perchance , for an accent color , but not something I would have chosen for an integral bed .
Still , beggars ca n’t be selector , so I waited for the est of the flag to flower . When they did , I was relieve to see several with velvety purple petal , so deep that they were almost black . There were also a few rusty sinister red bloom — another accent colour . There was also one rhizome that had the courageousness to put forth a yellow bloom . Hallelujah !
This year the iris are back with a vengeance . The butterscotchy - peach one view even a drop curtain of rain or a oink from the gardener as a sign of encouragement . Needless to say they are now huge and there are more of them than of any other color . The purple ones are quite glorious , and the rust-brown I are get on me as they flourish in the garden . The good newsworthiness is that the yellow sword lily appears quite robust , though there is only one mature industrial plant .
I should be more grateful . After all , none of my improbable bearded iris have been afflicted by any of those horrible iris diseases such as bacterial diffused rot , crown rot fungus , foliage spots , mosaic or the dreaded flag woodborer . What ’s more , none of them rebloom . I would be disquieted about that except for the fact that I have so many butterscotchy - peach colored iris .
My flag are so bighearted and good for you that this year I am exit to have to divide them . The first measure in this summons is to go out this weekend and chase each plant before the flowers evanesce so I recollect what color it is . by and by on , after the spring planting , buying , mulching and weeding extravaganza is over , I will set about the serious business of carve up and rearrange my stock . I will definitely separate the rust ruby-red iris from the butterscotch . They do not bring well together . I will put some of the deep imperial ones around my yellowed iris for a nice contrast , and possibly flank that display with some divisions of a sky - dark cultivar that the previous owner left me .
The reds may require outside help in the mannequin of a white iris or two that I will order from one of the catalogs . Some of the butterscotchy - peach iris will be transferred to underpopulated spot in my front G . Perhaps they wo n’t be so obvious in a declamatory space .
If the xanthous fleur-de-lis is large enough to divide , I will also group some butterscotchy - peach boner around it . Any stay on butterscotch iris , plus a few each of the other colour will go back to the friend who set forth me on this iris rabies . She has since bought a new house and left her mother ’s iris bed behind . My champion may actually be engulf by nostalgia when she becharm hatful of the rootstock for the butterscotchy - peach fleur-de-lis . It give me such joy to take part in that kind of humanistic effort .
I am full aware that there are many hoi polloi elsewhere in the world who would love to have my iris diaphragm problem . Some have no cheery space , others spend every sidereal day push off edacious iris borers . I feel for them , but I just ca n’t quite associate to them .
For those not blessed with ally who are about to divide an overgrown iris bed , there is only one thing to do . Contact Cooley ’s Gardens , 11553 Silverton Road NE . , P.O. Box 126NT , Silverton , Oregon 97381 , ( 503 ) 873 - 5463 . catalogue are $ 5.00 , and can be requested by call ( 800 ) 225 - 5391 . Cooley ’s also has a wonderful website with great planting and care instruction at www.cooleyiris@aol.com .
