Older gardeners!!!

Growing old in a garden's no problem, I'm sure,
For gardeners, like wine, don't just age, they mature.
A few more year's wisdom is just what I need
To distinguish an immature flower from a weed.

Good one Don!

The best of the New Year to everyone. Pirl; I too felt asleep around the same time. :-)

Don how truth!

Kim

I was in bed at 10.30 last night! Not much of a party here LOL.

Great thread, pirl !

At 52, I enjoy gardening more and more than I ever have...especially since SOMEONE got me addicted to Daylilies !

JI's are nicer! hee hee!.

I might try some this year. Pirl is hyping them well!

Am I? Gee, I had no idea.

Nice shot!

Thanks. It's not easy to take a bad photo of any JI.

She is rapidly switching her allegience from daylilies to JI's.
This could be a problem !

Nice pics Pirl.

Sensational Pirl! And a New Year's resolution: get some JIs! That's one I can stick too. Happy New Year everyone.

Maybe we can get some of her DL's then!!

Come on down and dig! I have a huge field "to go".

To make way for more JI's?

Rats! You guessed it.

Wow - talk about a runaway passion! Jack better watch out.

He's in hiding.

What beauties, Arlene!! I love that white one with the purple edging......oooooh! I see the attraction!
2008 so far has been ok! The tree is down, and the place is cleaned up and back to normal. Tomorrow morning very early, they are coming to install a security system in our house. I'm really bummed that we have to do this! But enough is enough!

It's remembering to turn the alarm off each morning that can be a big wake up call to the neighbors. I've done it often enough.

It's a shame, I agree, but if it gives you peace of mind it's worth it, Louise.

That's exactly what I'm worried about, Pirl.........I just can't imagine that my DH and I can possibly be on top of that. Plus, we love to have our windows wide open all the time for the fresh air....I guess that won't work, huh? Since my DH gets up around 5ish every morning, we may have some ticked off neighbors the first few times this darn thing gets set off. LOL

I've heard house alarms go off that are loud enough to wake the dead !

You'll have to hang a flag up inside or put up a notice taped to the floor with a "Danger" sign on it to warn both of you to turn it off.

We have the motion detectors and broken glass detectors so we can open our windows. Check to see how the company can do it to make life easier for you.

Good luck!

Yes, JD, they really are. They could scare the wits (or anything else) out of your neighbors.

Pirl, your pics of the JIs led me to Ensata Gardens. My list is already too long. There is one I will feel compelled to order..."Vain Victor"

Louise, when I need to remember to do something as soon as I get up in the morning I put a note on my bathroom mirror. Might help while trying to establish a new habit.

Ha ha - Pirl already told me about that one, Weeze!

Those JIs are gorgeous. I'm still trying to talk Pirl into selling them in DGs classifieds this year. Is it working yet, Pirl?

HAPPY NEW YEAR, PIRL! (and everyone!!!)

I haven't been in contact b/c the holidaze hit me like a Mack truck.
TODAY I started ordering seed!!!

I think it takes at least 40+ years of gardening to realize what works and what doesn't. We all have books that tell us exactly what to do, but I know I take advice lightly and fail often. If garden adulthood starts at 40, I'm only 7 years old! (Well, soon enough!)

Let us hope for a sparkling, happy 2008!
-Melissa
and Jax himself:

wow - there are other people still awake!!!!

Jax - it's so good to hear from you! I hope 2008 is the best year ever for you.

Polly - I'm still considering it.

Venu - let me know your final Ensata wishes, just in case I have extras. It's so easy to look at them and dream but what the catalog seldom, if ever, states is how big some of the flowers can get. Ocean Mist is unbelievable. Most of the time it's around 9" wide and "floats like a butterfly" (but does not "sting like a bee", Victor - I headed you off in time). I have a somewhat fuzzy photo of it to show the size and another to show the beauty.

Here's the fuzzy one to show the size:

Then, for the beauty but it still doesn't capture it in motion as it flutters in the breeze:

Pirl, I know I've asked this before but do the blooms last any longer than the beardeds and is the care the same?

TBI's want sunshine, no pooling of water, come in many colors and many color combinations.

JI's want lots of sunshine and moisture from spring to bloom, then normal watering. I'd say the blossoms last as long as tall bearded irises but, to me, they're glorious in the way they move in the wind where TB's don't have that quality. The season for JI's, here, goes from the earliest one that blooms the end of May to others that go to mid-July.

JI's come in white, all shades of lavender to purple and wine, a few pink, several with white/blue and white/purple combinations.

JI Crowning Moment on July 16th, 2007:

I'll try the photo again. The program says it's thumbnail size but still it wouldn't go through.

Pirl, I hesitate to buy from them as I can find no zone hardiness for them. I hate to buy such a beautiful plant and have it freeze a horrible death here due to it not being hardy enough. Can you tell me where I can find that info?

I bet Polly would know: I don't. It's not something I ever really considered. I'll see what Plant Files reveals.

Wait a minute! Am I too blonde or didn't you send me JI's? I clearly remember you sent me one you entered in the DG photo contest. Have you lost any?

No, not yet! LOL We will see what this spring brings. Planted a new one last summer, hope it makes it. I only have 3 in all and bought them with a zone tag on them.

They certainly are beautiful!

Plant Files didn't have the information so I tried Google. Naturally I found a very wide JI (and new to me) that I just might have to order. This does show hardiness zones from 4 to 9.

http://www.bloomingbulb.com/cartProductDetail.asp?ProductKey=97

Thank you so much for your question. I'd never have found this one unless you asked the question. This is a great way to start the new year!