U P D A T E !!!

It has been a while since I started this thread to ask for your help.

Well finished with the hardscape! Except for the planting ( fall )

Got the memorial garden walkway in and last of paver dust swept!


I have been watching your threads and looking at your lovely photos and I thank you. I have not commented because why interrupt your flow with nothing to contribute?

I still have not settled on specific iris...but. I am learning...and there is a lot to learn.

I have sun and dappled sun.
The compost is in and tilled
The bonemeal is not..waiting for fall

I have a rectangular area set aside where there will be a huge chime sculpture ...sun ...and iris there...solely.....and all along the new pathway iris ( medium and small.height ) mixed wilth pure white allium, meadow rue along back, larkspur, blue star amsonia and iris middle...and alyssum and forget me nots in the front along with the shortest iris......so...does that sound ok? The only rule I have is it must go to ground and be gone ( or cut off by me ) come spring..because the path is in the wooded area and I can't crawl around to rake and weed..don't want to deal with leaves stuck in shrubs ..just want to come to a bare area end of winter...rake or blow lingering leaves..weed..shake some mulch..fertilize..whatever.. And watch things emerge. No places for copperheads to ambush...I have a young lacy elm tree with shasta planted around base next to bench...in center of an open area with another bench ( no snakes above ) an almond tree planned...and heavenly blue butterfly installed at a corner fence...along the older walkway are existing bright sapphire blue plumbago, orange native columbine and white gaura. All of that disappears except the butterfly and I can make it disappear if. I don't want height. Few peony pots scattered.

I have the various crosses to mount on the black hemlock fencing.
I am also making a wooden tall column -- a vertical "chest" of sorts..that will be painted...that I can store mementos and ashes in placed somewhere in there.

Wanted to give an update so you know did not waste your time helping me ..too hot now to do much. Come fall planting will commence.

What a beautiful setting.................

Oh my...that's going to be lovely.

How beautiful!

Thanks. Do you think the flower choices OK with the iris?

Beautiful setting. I would definitely plan to plant the iris in the sunny spots so you get bloom. Maybe as islands surrounded by the other plants.

I am not so sure you have enough Sun for great iris production. You may want to concentrate on "Medians" as they bloom first and would be less bothered by lack of Sun in Spring. They still will the same issues as the TBs as they will be storing the next seasons bloom after the Spring bloom. This would stop me from planting your setting, just understand they may not thrive there.

The setting is very nice though and looks great so far.

How much is enough. There are two areas hat get 3-4 hours consistent not dappled

six plus is what I tell folks when I am selling irises at the shows/fairs/events.

I am so glad I decided to touch base..I was getting ready to order a pea gravel for this well packed base area. But I think I may take up the round planted area and till up it and next to the bench plant some of the iris.. No root issues ( well a little ) but it gets all day sun. I may get a divorce tho... 😝

And in just walking out there to that spot... the areas along the path are still 75 percent sunny from at least early morning and it is 1:25 now. I think it will stay sunny for a while longer. The trees are fully leafed out so that won't change, I thought iris needed part sun...not sure why I thought that except the few I have bloom huge with north face..little sun.. Anyway..thanks for your input because now I have a feel for where the sunny spots and the shady spots are -- shady which are closer to that metal entrance. I think I can use some iris somewhere along the walkway and also in the pockets. These are the photos I just took.


This area was intended for the gravel..great base..now I will pull out the plantings in the circle....amend it ...and till it. And then see a lawyer.


This is the area I always intended for the iris - solely iris - next to that small staked lace barked elm

This is across from the fenced memory garden but I could put iris in there..next to / left of the cedar arbor....sunny all the time ..it may echo the iris going on the inside of the fence across the way

Cross posted.. 6 plus hours.... Well, tomorrow I will get out early and see how long each area gets what. Thank you. As the season moves on..things will change too..I am glad no planting until fall. Gives me time to look at all my choices. These are photos showing where the almond was / is going..- >>where I staked that bottle tree..dead center...that may have to turn into a center sunny planting area...glad I have no prenup...I told him I was done with this area except for the fall planting.


45 years up in smoke!!!! Or...in compost...and bonemeal...

One thing that you can do besides medians and dwarfs that bloom early, is to look for tall bearded iris that are marked as early bloomers. They usually are well on their way by the time the trees leaf out. The later bloomers will bloom if they get enough sun in the winter and early spring to grow well. I have some later blooming iris that need a bit of shade in the afternoon so they don't wilt from the heat. Just don't plant in shade.

Ok thanks

Looks awesome!

And Rosie, the smaller ones, like dwarfs, are more tolerant of dappled shady areas. The neat thing about irises is that if they do not do well in a couple of years you can just take them up, move them over, and bloom!

Well said Bonnie!

Well..I think I will plan well and hope for the best.

>>For the encouragement and advice

Rosie, I can't wait to see the finshed (very large!) project.

You and me both! This plan has been in my head a long time. Since my sisters passed. Then my mom.. Before her -- Rosie our hound.... We put in the first walkway 3 years ago.....in the center of the front yard...middle of the woods..it is so hard..roots and leaves and more roots and snakes...ugh..did I say roots? I pray the big trees were not harmed..we worked around a lot of root. ..then we put up the fencing..then took breaks to do what everybody does..weed and mulch and plant etc, existing landscape. My brother so ill and many trips to Fla.to help him and relieve my sis...and he passed last fall. We neglected a lot of chores- house maintenance. You know how it is..life gets in the way of the garden. Plus..with each year..it gets harder...I did not appreciate my 50's ...I am slower. And so, I felt I had to get this memory garden done before it was time for me to be part OF it - literally.