Oh man... if you get the urge to thin your Autumn Circus, let me know!!! We get lots of heat here and I'd bet that if it does well there, it would be good here too.
Show me your favorite Iris
Lily, what a nice pond you have. The foliage around it makes it so peaceful looking.
psychw2,
About a month ago, I thinned this area, and traded away about half of them. It will be another year before I want to do it again. These were just Wall Mart cheapies that I bought when we first moved into the house because I wanted to get something in the ground quickly. A lot of people make fun of the Wall Mart bulbs, but I think that these speak for themselves.
Thank you for the comment on the pond. I put in most of the plants before it was finished. That gave some of them a good year to get established before the pond became operational. The cherry tomato plant seeded itself from who-knows-where, but it provides shade and food for some of the little critters, so I let it grow. Most people finish the pond first, then put in plants. The picture above was taken just a couple of months after the pond became functional.
Personally, I like plants with a bit of height around the pond, because it gives it much more of a feeling of seclusion, almost like a 'Secret Garden'. We enjoy it so much more that I ever expected to.
Sheral
Beautiful, Sheral. We filled a horse trough in June and I have put plants in it, around it, behind it. As you say....more pleasure than we anticipated.
I think when possible to preplant is a great idea. It will look "mature" and established much faster that way.
I had a simple little "pond" made of a water trough with a cedar platform and whiskey barrel to create a waterfall. I had plants arount it etc. It was very enjoyable. It was within a 6 foot chain link enclosure that had been a previous owner's dog run. Planting clematis on the fence gave me seclusion. I loved to sit and enjoy my fish, listen to the waterfall. AW well...
Hi Psychw2 ~ glad to see you here in Tx... Having your water feature in the chain link enclosure should prevent things from bothering the fish. Do you have a photo of it? Would love to see the waterfall.
I agree Lily13 that yours is a delightful pond. I suspected the yellow was a La iris ~ very pretty.
When I moved to Boise I boxed up everything. I don't have any pictures of my former house and flowers on digital but I'll see what I can do. I've really wanted to get some of my stuff put onto a CD. I'll look for pictures.
Glad to have you join in P2. The more the merrier.
I have just gotten into iris in my own garden, but I'm like many of you - I inherited a beautiful iris from my 102 yr old uncle who passed away in '05. I planted it at our lake house, (8b) not knowing if it would survive. The iris bloomed beautifully on Easter Sunday morning this year! As LouC says, God is the Master Gardener. Such a blessing that was to see it blooming and on THAT day.
So - not such a looker - but always will be my favorite.
It's a looker in my book and would be more than welcome in my garden! There's a lot to be said about an elegant iris with good form and substance.
Really a nice one. I don't have white at all, see how blessed you are!
Oh, book, that is beautiful. I think white is unusual in the iris family....so pure. wish I had one.
This is another gift iris that did have a name once upon a time.
Wow - I'm so glad you who know iris think it is elegant and beautiful! I certainly did. My uncle had both purples and whites, and they were probably planted in the 1940's (Oklahoma City). When we went to his house after the funeral, my sister and I both dug a start not knowing which one we got. Hers didn't make it. (Colorado). It was such a surprise when it came up and bloomed so beautifully.
It seems to be doing well, so maybe in the next year or two it will need to be divided. I'll write you all down for a start! I think in 8b they are on the edge of doing well. I didn't try it in my 9a garden.
Sheila - that is gorgeous! There are so many beautiful iris on this thread. I have a long list going. Now I just need more beds!
Sheila, looks like angel wings...
Lou - Angel wings - your description? Or perhaps the name? It would be a great name for it...
Thanks Bookworm! Are you still in 9a Houston, or have you just not changed the location on your ID?
Lou, I think you meant a cultivar, but I can't pull one up on a search. Do you have a link to a pic?
Hi Sheila - We are in 8b until our house is remodeled in Houston, which is 9a. It will likely take a few months. We live in an older home in Houston, and the dust and lack of AC would do us in, so we're at our lake house on Lake Conroe. It is a luxury not to live through the remodel. The difference between half a zone is noticeable - the iris would have drowned in the almost 50" of rain we had in Houston this year so far.
Oh, that explains what you said. I loved the Houston area; lived there a long time ago. I just regret that I wasn't into gardening as much back then to take advantage of the mild winters.
Ok, just to keep on track, this iris was identified for me on DG as 'Best Bet'. It was also from the friend last year. There were so many he gave me that I haven't seen bloom yet. Most of them were real small. I am hoping that I have enough of some varieties to share right away...we will see in the spring.
Not hardy enough for "in ground" in my zone but worth the effort!
A lovely iris just the same ~ the delicate bloom of a walking iris ~ Neomarica gracilis...
Neomarica longifolia ~ yellow walking iris
Oh goodness, I forget that I am on a site with real gardeners. I don't know one cultivar from another. An Iris is and Iris. Just meant the beauty of the white one that Sheila posted was ethereal like "Angel wings". Another example of how the written word can be defined in many different ways. Whoops!
LOL!! Lou the white was actually bookworm's posting, and I agree Angel Wings would be a good description for it.
Well..guess every club needs a clown even if it is unintentional.....i have chronic foot in mouth disease. Glad you guys understand me.
:Lou, my mom used to have a sign that read 'I only open my mouth to exchange feet'. Although frankly I don't think anybody thought you put your foot in your mouth by saying that gorgeous pure white was Angel Wings. I thought you were naming a variety and was set to write it down!! lol.. That would have been the blind leading the blind since I like Iris but don't know much about them, and certainly can't name ANY varieties!
Pat
I have posted this before but I always need a reminder.
Posted on a placard above my desk:
" Lord,
Keep your arm around my shoulder and your hand over my mouth. "
I am a slow learner.
These are the iris names I am familiar with: Blue, yellow, orange, white, red....etc.etc
Me too Lou. The only named ones I have were a gift from a friend whose dog tore up a flower bed. He used to raise and show irises, and didn't want to mess with planting these and sorting them out again. I think most will be of just a handful of colors so maybe I will have enought to share. But I want to let them bloom first so I know what I have. I don't think it is very easy to ID irises, so many look alike to the untrained eye.
LOL - yes - I'm an untrained iris lover along with many others.... White, purple, blue, purple/white/, yellow... those are the iris I grew up with and loved. If there isn't an iris named Angel Wings - then there should be!
Love the saying, Lou - I'll write it down and add that to my prayer list for myself!
Sheila - I probably will change my zone listing for the months that it takes to rehab our older home. That was a good question and one I ought to address to avoid future confusion. I'm just glad I seem to be in a zone (8b) that will support bearded iris. I did just plant LA iris from a fellow DG'r and can't wait to see those as well - spring will be a true surprise!