Let's be honest....what have you bought so far this winter?

That's a pretty one Pirl. I like the JI and I think they bloom longer than the siberian iris here. I had three of them but the critters ate one last winter so just two left. I need more.

This message was edited Feb 21, 2008 8:54 AM

Ngam,
What a goregous combo those 2 JI are together!! Do you by any chance know the names??

In this case, as in any case where I'm spending money on things other than what I should...according to Paul...JI's are evil... Although, as I explained to Pirl, I'm redoing a whole bed...huge task, and have asked Paul to start circling in catalogs, flowers of plants he likes. I had him go to the Ensata web site and jot down some of the JI's that he likes...so, my evil dasterdly plan is working, muahahaha...and he's not that upset that I spent my whole income tax check on flowers, he enabled also ;-)
It helps out that JI's, BI's, and SI's are Paul's favorite plants...so I win hands down. I always wondered why, when I made a small arrangement out of 'Batik' last year, he about shot me...now I know. It helps that I'm also incorperating some of my favorite plants into this bed...daylilies...!!!

Back to the web...

ngam - what misery to lose such a beauty. Along with Pixie I'd love to know the name of it.

I have no moist or wet spots on my exposed, hilly yard--therefore, no place to plant JIs--looks like you people are MAKING me put in a water garden! I wanted tp put one in where I planted grasses & hydrangeas, but it's the dogs' stomping ground, & I'm sorry I mulched it, because all the mulch is coming in the house on the airedale's kinky fur.

How I wish they designed kitchen floors with paw prints, human footprints, pieces of leaves, compost, etc.

I got them three or four years ago from Dutch Gardens I think. The names were 'Momogasumi' for the lighter one and 'Good Omen' for the darker one. I had all the name on the computer and it has all got deleted so I am trying to get all the names back again.

Also meant to say mine are not near a water garden, just regular garden bed. If the get about an inch of water a week they seem to do okay, I also plant them in a dimple and mulch.

Hurray and thank you. I ordered the Momogasumi and another one from Dutch Gardens back in December.

I had them growing out in full sun, not even in a dimple, with compost but no mulch for many years and they thrived with an inch of water a week. They seem very adaptable.

I need to chime in on the adaptability of JIs.

I had some growing with bearded, iris on my sandy soil, and they did just fine.

That's not to say they won't do better with lots of water and acid soil, but don't discount them just because you don't have the ideal growing conditions, because they are such gorgeous plants.

I think every garden should have some. They are perfect in mixed borders.

ngam, those are gorgeous.Maybe they will surprise you and pop back up this spring?

Signed, evil JI person

I found them harder to divide when they weren't mulched - it was like digging through brick with a toothpick. It's so much easier when they're planted in compost and have a thick layer of mulch and plentiful water but I'll enjoy them no matter where they grow.

I totally agree with Polly that they're terrific (the best) in mixed borders but their finest point (aside from their beauty) is that they "play well with others" - other JI's. There's never a mistake in planting a group of them regardless of their colors.

ngam - we'll "root" for you and hope yours return.

Signed,
Another evil JI person

Old photo of mixed planting.

oooh - pretty picture!
Pixie, will you make us a new thread, pretty please..?

I am afraid that one is gone. There was an empty hole where it was early this past spring. Either a raccoon or a squirrel was digging around, up rooted it and the wind took the bits away or a vole got it from the bottom. Just gives a good excuse to get a few more cause you don't want to order just one right. :) This is what it looked like.

I found out that Ensata mailed out their catalogs last week...so, instead of mailing them my order, I phoned it in...all of the JI's I listed are available...WOOOHOOOO...
The only thing, I felt like a complete goof trying to pronounce 'Chihayajo' and 'Sets no hama'...the man on the phone from Ensata was very polite about it, he did chuckle a little bit...as did I.
I told him that 2 evil JI people from the Daves Gardening forum pointed me in his direction...I had to clarify that "evil" has positive connotations also...lol. I'm getting so excited.
I wonder if 8 JI's is enough to start out with?

(I'm fishin here, someone help)

Newbie JI evil person, in training

Almost forgot...Paul got me the following seeds for Valentine's Day:
Sunflowers: "Dwarf Incredible" and "Velvet Queen"
Baptisia australis
Catananche caerulea "Alba"
Alcea rosea "Nigra"

He also got me 3 pairs of pruners. Bypass, anvil, and a percision pair.

Now for my bday, I'm shooting for a buket of mulch...lol.

Chill out. I did not know what JI stands for let alone evil :-)

Pirl meant to say how nice your mixed bed looked. I will have to stick them in here and there when I get more. I bet I could fit a few in the new shrub border huh?
Hemhostaholic that Ensata site is deadly. I could spend a bundle without even trying. Have you ordered from them before? Just what I need, another site full of gorgeous pictures of plants I love. I would say you could drop the "in training" part now.

schicken, JI = Japanese Iris don't go looking or you'll get hooked too.
http://www.ensata.com/

OMG - theres a ji called - get this! - Vain Victor! (obviously not our Victor!)

http://www.ensata.com/Japanese/VainVictor.JPG

My first order from Ensata was huge by my standards then - maybe 20 of them. I've eliminated quite a few plants to make room for more and more areas of just JI's. Ensata makes it so easy and so do friends like Polly and Pixie!

HHH: that hollyhock is gorgeous. I've had it for years. My only problem is that it gets rust but I put it to the back of one area and just rip off the bottom offending leaves.

A few of us have brought that JI to Victor's attention!

Late to the table on this thread but soooo glad to arrive and see I'm not the only one with
S.C.I.T.I. (Seed-Catalog-Induced Temporary Insanity) !!!

I've placed 3 orders so far:

Pinetree Garden Seeds:
Cineraria Silver Dust
Foxglove Foxy
Lupine Russell Mix
Viola Penny Lane Mix
Gazania Daybreak Mix
Thunbergia Alba Oculata
Abutilon Bella Apricot shades
Aquilegia Winky Mix
Dianthus Barbatus Sweet William
Deer Resistant Wildflower Mix

Seymour's Selected Seeds:
Purple Majesty Ornamental Millet
Chater's Double Hollyhock Mix
Spring Ballet Astrantia
Magic Fountains Delphinium
Band Of Nobles Lupine
Molten Lava Lychnis
Selma Star Matricaria
Robinsons Giant Flowered Pyrethrum Mix

Bluestone Perennials:
Aquilegia Songbird Cardinal
Catananche c. White
Anemone Tomentosa Robustissima
Buddleia weyeriana Honeycomb
Weigela Carnaval
Campanula punctata Cherry Bells
Hydrangea macrophylla Parzifal
Hydrangea arb. Annabelle
Hydrangea Sadie Ray
Achillea ageratum Moonwalker
Scabiosa Butterfly Blue
Scabiosa Pink Mist
Polygonum (Fallopia) Aubertii

These lists represent extreme restraint on my part :-) and are certain to put me right over the edge when, in addition, I finally start all the seeds I meant to from last year!

I am simply not safe around seed and nursery catalogs when old man winter/cabin fever strikes....

*running, out of breath, need water.....*

Ok...had to break free of the JI bug that has caught me...lol...

I'm still working on the "exotic" and "tropical" feel for our deck...Paul's idea, not mine...it's catching him too...yeah!

I ordered/will be getting the following, from Buried Treasures:
Xanthosoma sp. Suapaan x2
Colocasia "Black Magic" x2
Alocasia Maechang
Hymenocallis l. variegata
Maranta a. variegata

I was going to order one, or several of the Musa fromdifferent catalogs, but, believe it or not, there is a local garden center that gets some really different annuals/tender perennials in, last year they had about 4 or 5 different type of Musa...so, I'll stick with them...they also send me $10 coupons monthly...lol.

I need to take some plant-prozac and calm myself down. My poor fingers and credit card are moving faster than a gazelle being chased by a cheetah!

Tom, I have some baby brugs you can have. I started waaaay too many seeds :-)

Thom, I assume you have already spent your tax rebate and any refund you might have coming to you!

Wouldn't it be great fun if we all sent Thom anything tropical looking? He could have a DG tropical deck!!!

Please follow me to part 2 (even DSL hates 500+ posts!):
http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/816082/