Irises, gardening for others, and a new luxury for the birds!

 I find it difficult to find a flower that is more perfect than a Bearded Iris.  Gorgeous shape, huge assortment of colors and varieties, grapey sweet fragrance like sipping soft red wine, outstanding longevity, easy to grow, spikey foliage that lasts all season.  What is there not to love?

Iris have always caught my attention, even since before I ever began to garden, or even take an interest in flowers.  I regarded them as gorgeous flowers that must only grace the homes of wealthy people, because I never could recall seeing them too often .... but, that was also before I really took to noticing just what people actually grew. 

Bearded Iris are very popular and are seen blooming their heads off in late May-early June, with some reblooming varieties showing off their beauty again in the later summer.  (zone 5) ~ They are grown from rhizomes, which are similar to bulbs and tubers.  The rhizome is planted very shallow in the ground, almost shallow enough to be seen, in fact, over time, it is common to see them come completely up to the surface with growth.  This is normal. 

Irises spread readily in an area, so should be given ample space.  They should be divided once every three years to avoid crowding and to keep healthy stock.  Plant them in full sun in a spot that has good drainage, and you will have irises each year for many years to come.  They need little care, and do not require having their foliage cut back after blooming.  In fact, you should avoid cutting it back, as it helps gather and store energy for next year's blooms.

Yes....the fragrance of an iris is similar to wine or a grape kool-aid, some smelling heavier than others while some varieties have little to no fragrance.  In the above photo of my iris bed, the full purple type is my best smelling iris.  When these bloom, you can smell them from the front porch!  I love it!

Here are some photos of some of my bearded irises

    

Bearded Iris are named for the small fuzzy "beards" that you can see at the top of the bottom petals (called falls).  There are other types of iris as well, such as the Siberian Iris, Dutch Iris, and Louisiana Iris. 

I mentioned that I took on a few gardening jobs this summer.  They have been fun, and an entire new learning experience for me.  As exhausting as it is, it is also rewarding and I've been able to meet new people along the way.  One such person is Julie McCoy, whom I would not have met if not for gardening.  Julie and her husband Lynn bought an older house that they have started renovation on.  One part of their plan was to have gardens, so that is where I came in.  We set out starting a vegetable garden, and as we moved forward, it has turned into the start of a lovely flower/vegetable garden, and with a dash of spontaniety and creativity, we put some old porch rails to use as an entry way into the bed.

We are all anxious to see how it looks when it fills in, and I'm sure Julie is very excited to do some harvesting this year, since she loves to cook!  Here is the link to her own blog, which I really recommend checking out, as she has some really interesting  posts about the renovation of her "Red House"...  Read on:  http://theredhouseproject.eathappy.net/

On another note, my garden received a new goodie in it!!  A concrete birdbath, which I've been wanting to add in for some time now.  Now all of my little birds can stop in for a dip on extra hot days.  :)  I'm very happy with it, as it really adds to the style of the garden, while not standing out and drawing any attention away from where it belongs.... ON THE GARDEN! 

Peonies are just starting to bloom today .... so next post, I'll be sharing them!