Such beautiful large gardens you all have. I envy your growing skills. I don't envy the weeding though.

Many of you are true gardeners rather than just iris freaks. Since we hybridize some of the beds are for seedlings only, so landscaping would get in the way. We have been cutting back as we age.

Sue, I'm so glad I had a chance to see your garden in person last year.
It's stunning!
I agree with Lucy that, for some of us, as we age, a big garden is more work than we can easily manage.
I'm mostly interested in the hybridizing of iris, but in a small way. What energies I have go into that.-
along with some lovely dahlias and roses, a few day lilies and some flowering shrubs, and some bee balm and echinacea for the
insects. That's more than I can keep up with !

Even as a young person the garden can get really overwhelming. I increased my gardens greatly since last year and I'm seeing a huge difference in effort that needs to be put in so that everything is healthy and happy. I'm starting to wish I kept it more manageable. The irises alone take up 90% of my gardening time.

A few more angles for Mary Ann...


The is the most recent photo I have of this view taken in 2013 when I didn't have many irises.


These were taken in 2014. The ugly timber fence used to have a row of proteas along it (the one in my avatar) which unfortunately died. I have recently planted aggies and pokers there.

Beautiful Robin!

I'm on 1/5 an acre and a lot of it is unusable still. Your gardens put mine to shame, but I am working on getting it more esthetic. Gardens are a work in progress, and mine has come a long ways.

Beautiful garden, Sue, and beautiful walkway, Robin.

Thanks for jogging me wrt seedlings, Lucy; that's my sole exception to the no-monoculture rule. I have one raised seedling bed, two more under construction, several seedlings in planters (mostly on the patio), a few in the side yard (in planters and two general-purpose raised beds). (These are all daylilies; when I do irises again, the few seedlings will go into planters.) Even then, though, I aim to have color "accents" (single plants) placed around the seedlings-only beds.

Thank you Robin -- your front walk is beautiful! Makes my plain cement one look ugly. And what a great use of space between the sidewalk and the driveway -- what a shame that would have been to have it in grass. Just lovely!!

Just lovely, and it's so inviting,

It's beautiful!

Thankyou so much for the compliments everyone and for making me feel welcome.

Niki - there is no shame in having a garden in it's early stages. We have all been there.

Robin, between your irises I think I recognize a plant that I know through the florist trade as kangaroo paw- is that what I'm seeing?

Yes Neal, there are three different kangaroo paws planted among my irises. The tall one is Anigozanthos Big Red and the small ones are Bush Pearl (pink) and Bush Pizzazz (dark pink).



Big Red was the main feature along my front path before I discovered irises.
I will add these to the database once I figure out how to add a multi plant photo.

I really like those. Wish I could grow those here. I bet the hummingbirds love them!!!

irisarian said:Many of you are true gardeners rather than just iris freaks.

..... sounds a little condescending to me. Can't speak for anybody else, but for the record -- I have a 30+ year career as a retail nursery/garden center horticulturist, the fact that I concentrate exclusively on iris doesn't make me any less of a "true gardener" than those who choose to integrate their iris hobby with other types of plantings.

Stunning plants Robin! I believe you identified those before and I didn't recognize the botanical name.

And THAT sounds a little "thin skinned" , to me, Timothy !

Come on people.

Great yards and properties folks. One day soon I hope to sit on a piece of dirt half as nice.I sit on a 3/4 acre lot. It was mostly woods when I moved in. Day by day, week by week it's slowly transforming. As far as iris space I have plenty of room. These aren't the prettiest pics, but just glad I have a places to plant. Once I dig through roots and heavy clay and tree stumps anywhere is possible I guess. It's been a back breaking year here.

Main front yard area gets all day all the way to senset. Those of you that have my address google map me and see the change. I'm going for grass right now also, so excuse the patches.


Lily bed has a few clumps actually I planted last year. 20 or so discarded noIDs are actually hanging around and look pretty good with all the green going on. Tulips, hyacinths and daffs were a sight to see, but are finished for the year. Great are for sun and shade plants. This is my most favorite area of the yard.


My backyard iris bed. They'll transition here after bloom season when I divide. I fear planting here only because we're in moving limbo and it's going to be a PITA diggin them up later on. This space actually get 80% sunshine leading to sunset. I've strategically cleared some trees and watched this area for a solid year monitoring the sun's rotation around my yard. Kinda important folks I'm proud now that I'll have PLENTY to share around during division time. btw


Potted Chaos area will now become mostly yard and a small garden. We've worked our @$$e$ off clearing all the overgrown English Ivy. Too many roots, not enough funding, and the possibilities of more ivy hanging under the soil. Even though we've uprooted all we can, you that have dealt with this know that these roots are a network kinda like nerves in the body that run deep, here almost 25 years deep. This stuff is ALMOST indestructable or known to be invasive. This area cleared now receives 90% sunlight just barely missing sunrise.