Mary Gay Lirette
and Japanese Willow starting to leaf out
Whats New March 2012
Mary Gay is very pretty....welcome home, Patti.....amazing that the gardens were still being cared for!
My spirea thunbergii is leafing out AND starting to bloom!
sounds like a very nice trip patti - glad you and your family where able to see the old homestead and that it was being taken care of.
Welcome back Patti, looking forward to the pictures!!
Wonderful Patti, glad you enjoyed
Bienvenidos, Patti!
I took these shots for our Rock Man Mr. Wha, so here are some new Project for you. Patti
i like the bench and noticed that the wood is attached to the stone with screws - it can be done :)
thanks for the idea
A lovely gift from that gentleman......
did my RI sink???.. they are so short
They look great to me. Some of the varieties may get a tad taller than others, but 4" to 6" is what I normally have.
Below is part of an article I wrote about them a few years ago and some shots from yesterday of them in bloom this year in our garden. Most years they start around the 20th of March here. Early this year, but then everything is in the NE. Patti
Quoting:
IRIS RETICULATA
This curious little flower is a member of the Genus Iris and part of the subgenera Hermodactyloides, which is comprised of a group of bulbous Irises. This subgenera include Iris reticulata, Iris histrioides, Iris danfordiae as well as a few others. Fair warning as the nomenclature gets muddled when speaking of reticulated Iris. Just remember that all Iris histrioides are known as reticulated Iris, but all Iris reticulata are not Iris histrioides. This really is splitting hairs, as they are all very similar in appearance and growth habit to all but a botanist. They are often crossed to create more confusion. These Irises grow from a small bulb, most with a fibrous papery coating over the bulb like a net, though the histrioides lack netting. The well known summer blooming Iris ensata, sibirica and the gemanica are all rhizomatous, instead of bulbous.
Despite this difference the flower clearly looks like a classic Iris bloom that stands in most cases under six inches tall and comes in a rainbow of colors, especially in the vibrant blue, purple and violet ranges, with nice exceptions that include a near white and in some rarer ones, which I have only seen photographed, are a very haunting dark brownish purple or an eerie greenish color. This vast color variation is rather fitting, as the name Iris, in ancient Greek Mythology, was that given to the Greek Messenger Goddess of Rainbows. It is native to the Russian Caucasus as well as from other similar mountainous areas in Afghanistan, Northern Iran, Iraq, Eastern Turkey and on down into Israel. It grows normally at high altitudes where it benefits from plentiful winter moisture from the snow melt, and then thrives in the hot arid summers.
It was first introduced to the European garden in 1808. Many hybrids have been introduced since, and new species are still being found by plant explorers such as Janis Ruksans, a noted plantsmen from Latvia and author of Buried Treasures: Finding and Growing the World's Choicest Bulbs, published by Timber Press in 2007. This early blooming bulb can withstand frost and is tenacious in pushing up through a March snow. I have found it grows well in Nantucket's sandy, well drained soil, when given a spot in sun to light shade that is not overly irrigated in the summer. The perfect location in my garden for this Iris to achieve a good return rate has been to plant it in a location with lavender and other herbaceous plants that need little watering, if any, except by Mother Nature. These Irises do love a summer baking. A rock garden with gritty soil would also be an ideal spot.
I
I just love the IR's. My bunch of Natashas has a pixie in the middle. J Sheepers strikes again. No matter they are welcome here.
thanks Patti
Jo Ann, We all love anything "Pixie", but I hope you have better luck with I.r. Natasha than I have. It doesn't seem to return very well for me. Patti
Natasha is a poor grower for most people, wish that it was off the market. Harmony is an excellent grower. Many people seem to be growing Katharine Hadgkin. Note the 2 a in Katharine. It is the correct spelling. She was developed from 2 species in Eng. & they say that the Dutch firms changed the spelling to 'e'. The British Iris Society is very annoyed about that.
This message was edited Mar 18, 2012 3:34 PM
I wish I had known about Natasha. I preferr the lighter colored RI's as they are easy to see from the house.
Thanks for the info on Natasha I wont beat myself up when it disappears or what ever.
Well, whatever this one is, it's very welcome! Also, my violas overwintered & are blooming.....and while I was out taking the photo of the hellebore, I found a lily nose!
I'm Adding Katharine to my list to grow next year for sure.
It was my first and still my favorite. Who couldn't love this strange colored gal.
More from my article
Quoting:
Here is one from a big clump of them out this week. Or I think it is I.histrioides.Katherine Hodgkin and not I histrioides Frank Elder which blooms a tad later and is a bit bluer,or so they say, but they look the same to me. Patti
The color choices are numerous for the reticulated Iris. One special Iris histrioides is 'Katherine Hodgkin'. This was my eureka bulb, as it was the first reticulated Iris that I ever planted, and it first bloomed in our garden on March 21. 2006, though we had watched it days before as it poked up before nary a crocus had appeared. She is an ethereal gem that blooms a very pale creamy azure blue to a grey, yes, grey color and, it is randomly dotted with pale yellow and streaky blue veins that give it a camouflage pattern. The color is rather strange to absorb, perhaps more of what Herpetologists would adore, but I find it irresistible, and I don't adore snakes.
Robindog, I love that violet and wish I had some in the garden. Your Iris reticulata is most likely Harmony unless you planted I.r.Alida which is a sport of Harmony and is a lighter blue. They look the same to me and think it is a ploy to get me to order everyone that I can find. Patti
So glad you agree about the similarity between KH and SE.I find Sam Elder just a bit more grey. Kathrine is bluer. At least thats the way they look here.
Robin, love the color on that viola
I do LOVE RIs
Jo Ann, you have a painter's eye, me, not so much.
Kind of premature, but we can tell it is a tulip and I am pretty sure it is the always early, Tulip Division 12 - Kaufmanniana Showwinner. I posted a couple other goodies from yesterday too. Out to see what is happening on this 60 plus sunny day. All smiles. Patti
I have never seen 'Frank Elder'. I meant to get more 'Katharine Hodgkin' last fall but didn't do so.
This is Frank Elder
#2 Is Kath Hodgkins.When the clump is viewed against FE its a bit more blue
Thanks, Patti, for the ID....Jo, those look nice....I also love the crocus in Patti's last photo....sigh, more money going to Scheepers!
some pretty pansies I propose to plant!
LOve this witch hazel. This photo is a couple weeks old. I need to get out there and take some current photographs. Lots popped while I was away this weekend. Glorious!
very pretty!
Love the gradual color change on Mary Gay Lirette
More hellebores
Muscari
almost didn't see them among all the foliage
Odorus flore daff
Very nice pansies, hellebores & daffs! Great to see this time of year....
Lovely pics everyone, just what I needed to smile...thank you. :)
I will have to check on our muscari locations.
We have 3 muscari out and I found a blooming hyacinth, not in the best form, but blooming and more tulips showing as well as some white Scilla mischtschenkoana or Puschkinia libanotica. How can a plant have two such complicated names? The narcissus have started in earnest. Yippee. I am almost ready to attack the garden again today after my moving and dividing marathon from yesterday as I am actually able to bend over. Another gorgeous day. Patti
Wood hyacinths are blooming.....and anemones....
Very pretty, everyone! Marilyn, I love the colors of that middle viola! I've never seen one like that. Nice hellebores, Jo, and jen, that is a very cheerful daffy.
This is reticulated iris Natasha....I'm a little disappointed in it....wish it had more substance to it......thanks, Louise!
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