I planted 15 new TB Iris rhizomes in one of my Iris beds today. It was very Hot out today, but I was determined to finish the job. The bed already had 16 TB Iris rhizomes planted in it, so I added
the 15 new rhizomes for a total of 31 Iris rhizomes in one of my Iris beds. I still have the other bed to clean out and prepare for the balance of the rhizomes that have to be planted. It was a very productive day!

Great going Patrick, that will look great next year I'm sure when all of the blooms are there to admire. We will be wanting to see pictures for sure!

I finished planting half of the bed that I had torn out, and am ready to dig up the rest of that bed. There will still be many odds and ends of irises from digging those clumps that are going to be available for postage in medium flat rate boxes only. These may be smaller rhizomes in some cases, but all named, unless you want some of the red NOID (THE famouse Red NOID ) I also have some historics too, but the boxes will be filled with irises of my choice. You get to say no historic, no mini's, or no moderns, but that's the extent of your choice. I've shipped 3 boxes like this, have two more to go out next week, but there's still more. I'm digging up some bigger clumps and only planting back 3 to 6 of each variety.

Patrick, I'll bet your neighbors will thank you for all the beauty you're creating in your area!

Tom, you are such a dynamo of energy!

janwax said:Patrick, I'll bet your neighbors will thank you for all the beauty you're creating in your area!

Wow. I hope so. Thank you. But you know I have neighbors who are quite the gardeners. My next door neighbor, Jimmy, is 88 years old and a widower, and he creates container gardens every year that are out of this world. I don't know how he does it. But ya know, I noticed that in this
complex, there are a lot of home owners who have Iris blooming on their property. I was determined this year to take a walk thru the complex with my camera and start taking pictures.
I was amazed at the volume of people here who grow Iris ! It's wonderful !

Tom, you are toying around with my willpower.

Again, I must run away...I'm feeling weak.

Tom, I admire your restraint in only replanting several of the rhizomes you dig up! I am too greedy; I just keep digging up more ground! Today was a perfect digging day, so up came lots of the crowded, and the weedy, and the lonely onlys and now the ones I have recently dug can go back into nice clean dirt. I am moving the ones that grow without a care, and making big patches of them: I. pallida, Dauntless, Superstition, Tall white noid. Mosytly around the perimeter of the bed and in several separate areas. I don't have to worry about these, so I can save the main bed for the new and ones that need more attention. Digging them up is so much fun, but I am trying to discipline myself to replant them within a day or two.

I'm pooped after today! Moved 12 bobcat buckets of bed rock, 30 bags of top soil
20 bags of manure, 5 bags of peat , 10 bags of sand, Tilled 2 new 75 foot rows for iris. Gave the dogs both baths and now to make dinner and drink wine! Tommorow is planting day!

Wow - you deserve a glass, or two,of wine, Jen! Two 75 ft. iris beds! My, my!

I filled a very large container(about 10 to 12 gallons) full of water, added about half a cup or more of fish emulsion,
filling my watering can from it, and went around giving each newly
planted iris a drench.

I did absolutely nothing today. There's nothing left to do except some weeding later in the week.

Yikes Jen! That's a lot of heavy stuff.

I went out back to the veggie garden that has few veggies this year and a lot of violets. I cut a new garden over the underground rivulet and planted a bunch of rebloomers. Now they will stay moist enough.

The violets got moved to fill an annoying divotted edge in front of the arborvitae. I like even ground when mowing. I am filling in all the "landscaping" style edging. Violets can be mowed after they do their glorious blooming.

There are some pluses to the back garden. One is, I can go out there with my coffee in my nighty and no one will see me. If I bring my opera glasses up to my attic/bedroom, I can see the garden from my window too.

I moved a hosta to the new garden. I think I will put in some daylilies that have been blooming since May and a few little boxwood slips to start in a moist place.

There was a tree guy looking to dump chips. Hopefully I get some and can put them thickly on the walkways.

I am covered in patchouli oil...can't beat it for keeping away mosquitoes and people.

Jen Jax, That's a lot in one day you accomplished. All I did was to give the plants some water before I had to leave for work. The garden has been missing me and I missing the garden.

Linneaj said:

I am covered in patchouli oil...can't beat it for keeping away mosquitoes and people.

Ohhh im sorry to be laughing but that is soooo funny you said that about keeping people away. That is one of those oils that i smell and have to go then other way. Never heard of it keeping mosquitoes away though. Hummm

Yah -- I got a chuckle out of that one too, Linnea!!!!!

I am curious as to what to do with old beds where the soil looks hard and not very nourishing. I do not want to dig up the whole bed which would disturb the roots and the irises in most places are not overcrowded and also bloom (most of them). Should I put some soil over the top, dig some in, put topsoil or garden soil or what??? Compost and peat seem to encourage moss growth. I have put down fertilizer a month after bloom as they say to and new growth is happening on all but the dirt just looks dull and hard. I know that irises are quite forgiving but not sure what to do. My new beds have sand, gypsum, garden soil and native soil mixed up. They look good. Any advice?

I have moderate Multiple Chemical Sensitivity, enough so I cannot work with other people. It is funny I can wear patchouli. I don't wear it except in my own yard. In many people, patchouli causes headaches, asthma attacks and allergy.

I tried lemon grass oil the other day. That seemed to work too.

Now I could do lemongrass oil if it keeps me from getting eaten alive!

janielouy said:I am curious as to what to do with old beds where the soil looks hard and not very nourishing. I do not want to dig up the whole bed which would disturb the roots and the irises in most places are not overcrowded and also bloom (most of them). Should I put some soil over the top, dig some in, put topsoil or garden soil or what??? Compost and peat seem to encourage moss growth. I have put down fertilizer a month after bloom as they say to and new growth is happening on all but the dirt just looks dull and hard. I know that irises are quite forgiving but not sure what to do. My new beds have sand, gypsum, garden soil and native soil mixed up. They look good. Any advice?

I would sprinkle some compost around the bed you think doesn't look so hot. Wait maybe two years. Dig all the iris at the same time, and then till in new soil amendments into your old dirt. Then replant them since you will most likely need to be splitting them anyways.

That's what I would do.

John planted one of the seedlings returned from convention. there is just enough slope (very small) that causes me to lose my balance. Our 'girls' had weeded which cleared a spot so we got about 50 MTB plants in. they are too close together, but all I want to see is if they are the correct plant. One large rhizome with about 7 or so increase was planted as is, to see if it will bloom next year.

Jane, Jen, Jan, it's hard to keep from mixing you all up. Anyway, Jane, Jen's suggestion should work, just sprinkle the new compost on top of the soil. The worms will work it into the soil for you. I'd be careful not to get it on top of the rhizomes though, only around it.