Specialty Gardening: Favorite Plants in the Cottage Garden, 1 by critterologist

critterologist wrote:
Oh no, don't tell me that 'Rip van Winkle' daffs aren't good bloomers.... !! We fell for them at the Philly flower show last spring, and I just planted 100 in my parents' yard and have another 100 for my front bed! Dang, I guess I'd better pick up some 'Minnow' daffs to go with them...

Does anyone have suggestions for good companions for irises? I've been told not to mulch irises (the rhizomes can rot if too wet) and even not to plant an overly dense ground cover around them.... I planted some 'Orchid Frost' lamium between some irises this spring, and it really took off and looks great! It's got a fairly loose, low growing habit, so I think it's one companion that will work. I also put in a couple little Serbian Bellflowers, but they didn't grow enough yet for me to really judge them. I also ended up planting out a few new irises between some clumps of columbine, and that seems like it will work out.

I'd like some other ideas for the irises... and I'm generally interested in finding some good low-growing "fillers" or groundcovers to use between other plants.

One of my favorite plants this year was Penstemon smallii... I wintersowed them last year, and they bloomed this spring for the first time. THey bloomed right together with Dutch Iris 'Eye of the Tiger' and matched/echoed the violet color perfectly! I hope that timing works out again (that was the first year for the iris too, and bulbs sometimes seem to bloom later their first year). I'm sorry I didn't get a photo of them together, but here's the Penstemon: