My collection of cemetery iris is incomplete. I lost the cream colored one this year and the one with white standards and navy blue falls didn't bloom this year. I can't find the picture for it. I need to hit the Murray cemetery to plant peonies at my parent's and brother's graves this fall and I will take a fresh sample from all of the large growth areas of iris. I guess I should reexplain to those who haven't read any of my previous blogs about this. The iris get so overgrown that the caretakers mow back on the iris beds and keep trying to stop them from spreading. I take rhizomes from those areas that have been mowed over and are left to die.
The yellow and brown one is said to be the original iris that was used to breed all of the hybrids today. I don't remember my source on that but it came from an iris breeder's site. I have seen recently for sale a now large version, hybrid, of that brown and yellow one and it is called bumble bee.
My two lots are on a slant, water runs west to east, and that means I have to find an area, or create an area that helps keep the plants high and dry. Because of the water runoff I really can't find any area that doesn't get soggy. I may try the east side of my house as the house can block some of the moisture coming down the hill. Does anybody grow iris in raised beds and do you have to water them to keep them going because of the artificial growing conditions? I guess I should try growing them on mounds of earth. Does anyone do that?
Thanks for reading.....
3 comments:
Your iris are beautiful, and how nice to be able to add to your collection due to over growth at the cemetery. I can't grow them down here so can't give you any help in growing them.
Happy Gardening ~ FlowerLady
Some day I plan on starting some iris, but for now there are no iris in my yard.
I have an old cemetary up the road and I can't tell you now many times I've thought about going there and digging up some starts for myself. The only thing holding me back is I'm afraid of what the neighbors will think if they see me walking through the cemetary carrying a shovel.;D
What I noticee tonight while driving near here was a farmstead that had two of the old fashion iris growing in their yard. The plants had to come from some farm to get to a cemetery. I usually take a very small shoot and it takes two to three years for it to grow into anything. I have grown them in a pot for a year like a indoor nursery to get it strong enough to go into the ground. Yeah, if I feel God's conviction on my greed I don't and won't steal.
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