Tag Archives: Iris germanica

In A Vase On Monday – April’s Mixed Bouquet

Each Monday Cathy at Rambling In The Garden invites us to share a vase highlighting what is growing in our gardens.

Coral Charm Peony opened last week and how I wish I could encourage it to be patient: “Take your time beautiful flowers.” One of seven buds opened, followed immediately by the other six at once. The effect is breathtaking and although I usually I do not mind cutting flowers to bring indoors, I could bear to yield just one for today’s vase.

Paeonia ‘Festiva Maxima,’ loaded with buds, offered up two more large flowers.

With this elegant beginning the garden then beckoned “choose me, choose me!” Irises, roses, snapdragons all sang out.

Materials
Flowers
Antirrhinum majus ‘Speedy Sonnet White’ (Snapdragon)
Antirrhinum majus ‘Speedy Sonnet Bronze’ (Snapdragon)
Iris germanica ‘Immortality’
Iris germanica ‘Orinoco Flow’
Iris germanica ‘Raspberry Blush’
Iris Tectorum (Japanese Roof Iris)
Paeonia lactiflora ‘Coral Charm’ (Coral Charm Peony)
Paeonia ‘Festiva Maxima’
Rosa (old-fashioned family passalong rose)
Foliage
Helleborus x hybridus (Lenten rose)
Penstemon Digitalis ‘Husker Red’
Peony leaves
Vase
Red/black raku vase, Charles Chrisco, Chrisco’s Pottery

Thanks to Cathy at Rambling In The Garden for hosting and giving us an opportunity to share flower-filled vases across the world. Visit her to discover what she and others found to place in a vase this week. Good health and peace to you.

Morningtide On First Of May

22 Replies

Morning Garden

The nicest time in my garden can be the early hours between 6 and 8 a.m., when the sun is peeking around, seeking entry past rooftops and fence posts.

Sunlight touching Southern Border

Yesterday, heading down the back steps with a cup of coffee in hand I intend to sit on the black Lutyens bench in front of the meditation circle for a few moments of reflection.

Before I even sit something catches my gaze and of course, I must look.

Iris germanica (Tall bearded iris)

Iris germanica ‘Immortality’ and Tradescantia (Spiderwort)

Paeonia ‘Festiva Maxima’

Satisfied, I continue toward the meditation circle and take a seat. Birds calling and chimes singing are the sounds I notice and sometimes for an instant, there is complete silence.

Antirrhinum majus ‘Montego Violet’ (Snapdragon) and Penstemon digitalis ‘Husker Red’ (Beardtongue)

Pretty soon though I spot a mocking weed that must be plucked right away. There, that takes care of that impetuous intruder! Oops, another one.

Ah, too many weeds to worry about just now, so I relax and take another sip of coffee. But soon I am up wandering around with the camera, exploring each new bloom that has appeared since the previous day.

Dianthus b. ‘Barbarini Mix’ (Dwarf Sweet William)

Iris tectorum (Japanese Roof Iris) and Iris germanica (Tall bearded iris)

Oenothera speciosa (Pink evening primrose)

Now the coffee cup is abandoned. Like the honeybees pausing for nectar at each opportunity, I float round the borders, inhaling rose and peony and iris, and retracing my steps.

Virgie’s Rose – a passalong

Paeonia ‘Pink Parfait’ (Peony)

Tall Bearded Iris

Crossing Paths

I carefully tread lightly into the back of the northern border for a closer inspection, then swing the camera back out across the garden.

Morning Garden

Delighting at form, color and wet grass underfoot I recognize the transience of this peaceful moment, and can hardly bear it.

Wordless Wednesday—Reblooming Surprise

22 Replies

Reblooming Iris germanica

In A Vase On Monday—Lemon Yellow

19 Replies

In A Vase On Monday- Lemon Yellow

It is interesting each week to join Cathy’s floral challenge called In A Vase On Monday. Her goal is to nudge us to fill a vase using materials gathered in one’s own garden.

Today’s vase features a single iris stalk with two open flowers and three buds. This iris is one of several selected at our community’s plant swap last October which had the good manners to be a reblooming variety and a nice color. Since the first of September these passalong irises have enlivened a small southwestern-corner bed with numerous richly hued and fragrant flowers.

Reblooming Iris germanica

I used strongly patterned, boldly colored Canna leaves to add balance and drama to the arrangement. This orange-flowered canna has not bloomed for the last two years and perhaps needs to be divided; nevertheless, its foliage is attractive and adds nice height to the southern side garden.

On a whim I cut a few stalks of wispy Pink Muhly Grass to add a softer element to the design. I liked the one curving shape introduced by a grass stem, but overall I do not think this material was particularly effective or necessary.

In A Vase On Monday- Lemon Yellow

The hand painted Fenton Glass vase, a gift from a sister, proved to be the perfect height for today’s flowers, approximately 1:3. The diameter of its opening was just snug enough to hold the elements upright and stable. The yellowish-green coloring toward the base subtly echoed the bright lemony yellow of the iris.

In A Vase On Monday- Lemon Yellow

Materials

1 stem reblooming Iris germanica
1 small stalk Canna
6 stems Muhlenbergia capillaris (Pink Muhly Grass)

Thanks to Cathy at Rambling In The Garden for hosting. Discover what delightful things she and others are placing In A Vase On Monday.

Chuck, Iris and Herbstfreude In Early Evening

28 Replies

Gardenia jasminoides ‘Chuck Hayes’

Gardenia jasminoides ‘Chuck Hayes’ fell victim to the cold winter and did not bloom in spring. Most of the shrubs have recovered now and offer occasional flowers. Two weeks ago I cut several for a Monday vase. I ended up not using them as the flowers were too far past their prime, but I enjoyed their sweet fragrance for several days.

This evening I spied a fresh bloom, apparently home to a little translucent, white spider. This may be a crab spider or a ghost spider.

Gardenia jasminoides ‘Chuck Hayes’

More of the yellow reblooming bearded German Iris have opened this week and the white Iris germanica ‘Immortality’ will soon follow. On the left beside the irises a Heuchera villosa ‘Big Top Bronze’ (Coral Bells) has been blooming for several weeks. Although the plant tag indicated this cultivar could tolerate full sun, even planted here in part sun its leaves have brown edges, crisped by the hot summer rays.

Heuchera villosa ‘Big Top Bronze’ (Coral Bells) and Reblooming Iris

Autumn Joy sedum is fully open in front of the northern border. Several bees and a wasp were feeding on it. This group of plants have a dusky rose color, while nearby some purchased a year earlier have a flatter top and brighter pink hue.

Hylotelephium telephium ‘Herbstfreude’ (Autumn Joy)

Iris Cheer

26 Replies

Reblooming Iris germanica (Bearded iris)

This morning the yellow, reblooming iris has opened adding a bright cheeriness to the small island in the southwest corner of the garden.

Reblooming Iris germanica (Bearded iris)

Until a better home could be found for them, these passalongs were planted here temporarily last fall in what was planned to be a part-shade garden. The maple that was providing the shade had to be removed as it was getting too large and its roots were spreading too far and wide. I need to give some thought to what to do with this island bed now that it is sunny again. This could be a fun little area to plant and the iris seems to like it.

Reblooming Iris germanica (Bearded iris)

Early Morning Garden In Early September

32 Replies

Facing west: Lantana camara (Common lantana) in the Southern Border and Zinnia in Island Border

After the cold winter Lantana camera took a long time to start growing this year. This was fine with me because it seemed too large the last couple of years. This perennial, deciduous shrub is invasive in some places further south and is very toxic. Butterflies are typically attracted to it but there have been very few takers this summer.

Lantana camara (Common lantana)

Both the lantana and this Perovskia atriplicifolia (Russian Sage) were planted soon after the garden was established. I moved most of the Perovskia to another location because usually by now this is crowded out by the arching branches of lantana. This year it is holding up pretty well.

Perovskia atriplicifolia (Russian Sage) and Lantana camara (Common lantana)

Near the bottom of the branches the berries of Callicarpa americana (American beautyberry) are ripening.

Callicarpa americana (American beautyberry)

This intimidating creature is Argiope aurantia, known as the Corn Spider or the Black and Yellow Garden Spider.

Argiope aurantia, (Corn Spider or Black and Yellow Garden Spider)

I was happy I did not disturb her web. She did not like being photographed so early in the morning.

Argiope aurantia, (Corn Spider or Black and Yellow Garden Spider)

She was very well camouflaged as I went to check out the Chrysanthemums. Upon closer observation the concentric circles of the web are visible against the dark green on the left.

Argiope aurantia, (Corn Spider or Black and Yellow Garden Spider)

Here is a view of one of these orb spiders from the top side in a photograph taken several years ago.

Argiope aurantia, (Corn Spider or Black and Yellow Garden Spider)

I was excited this morning to find several yellow irises poised to rebloom. These are passalongs so I do not know the name.

Reblooming Iris germanica (Bearded iris)

Enjoying The Garden

6 Replies

Today was perfectly beautiful, with low humidity, light breezes and temperatures this afternoon in the high 60s. The light was glaring when I visited the garden today at mid-day, but the deep coloring in this Siberian Iris is strong enough to stand up to the sunlight. Last year this Iris barely bloomed at all but conditions have been good this year for all the irises.

Iris sibirica (Siberian Iris)

The garden is richly satisfying at present, with many plants poised to take over as the Irises fade, including Peony, Echinacea, and Penstemon. The Iris show is not quite done though. I added a new deep purple Iris last fall called Iris germanica ‘Davy Jones’ (Tall bearded iris). It is a late-flowering variety and indeed has not flowered yet, but may need to be rescued from the shadows of nearby Monarda which is beginning to tower over it.

Yesterday I observed the last of my pass-along Irises is in bloom. This one looks pale, almost gray from afar, but up close it displays complex color and variation.

Iris

Today I especially enjoyed this expanse of Nepeta in the northern border. This view is looking toward the meditation circle.

Garden View With Nepeta ‘Walker’s Low’ (Catmint)

Raspberry Blush Iris

20 Replies

Wednesday was too busy to do much gardening, although the garden is where I would like to be these days. In the morning there was just a tiny tip of color on the Iris ger. ‘Raspberry Blush.’ By evening when there was time to take a break, I discovered iris season is underway.

Iris ger. ‘Raspberry Blush’

A Perfect Day In May

10 Replies

Meditation Circle

Today’s weather could not have been more perfect to have a group of friends visit the garden, walk the meditation circle and share a potluck lunch. Cloudless blue skies, low humidity and temperatures in the mid-seventies made for a fine day to be outside.

Inside the labyrinth Penstemon (Beardtongue) hybrids are blooming this week and buzzing with bees.

Penstemons In Meditation Circle

Penstemon mexicali ‘Pike’s Peak Purple’ delineates a long stretch of path near an outer edge. Its color is deep and rich violet-purple. Its loose form means it sprawls over into the paths on either side, making it necessary to trim the overhanging flower stalks to help keep visitors safe when walking the labyrinth.

Penstemon mexicali ‘Pike’s Peak Purple’ (Beardtongue)

Marking several turnaround points in the labyrinth is another penstemon cultivar, Penstemon digitalis ‘Husker Red.’ This variety has a tighter and more upright form, making it more suitable and requiring less maintenance in the narrow space between the paths. Both Penstemon cultivars remained green during this past mild winter.

Penstemon digitalis ‘Husker Red’ (Beardtongue)

The garden has transitioned away from the focus on roses and irises, but a few Bearded Irises linger.

German Bearded Iris

Yesterday the garden’s peony opened. This is ‘Pink Parfait.’

Peony Paeonia ‘Pink Parfait’

Raspberry Blush

4 Replies

Iris ger. 'Raspberry Blush'

Newly added to the garden in mid-March, this German Bearded Iris ‘Raspberry Blush’ opened today, earlier than anticipated. This has uncovered a bit of a mystery for me.

I dearly love irises and have grown them for years, my irises have all been the unnamed pass-along variety from friends. I have never studied irises but this winter I read somewhere that there have been so many improvements to irises in the last five years one really should try the newest varieties and be wowed. I was intrigued and soon afterwards picked up this plant at a local garden center.

Although the plant tag at purchase time indicated NEW, this seems not to be a new iris at all, but rather one from 1976. Maybe it is new for this particular grower, but apparently my garden’s iris situation is still so nineteen-seventies.

I am not really disappointed in this iris—it is lovely—but I was surprised by its color, height and early bloom time. The coloration is considerably less raspberry pink than expected. Some descriptions I came across in researching this iris do mention an orange beard and that matches the specimen in my garden. Its height of about 16 inches is appropriate, as ‘Raspberry Blush’ is classified as an Intermediate Bearded (IB) Iris. This classification of iris blooms early, before Tall Bearded.

Iris ger. 'Raspberry Blush'

The three upright petals are called standards and the three hanging petals are the falls. The beard is the fuzzy part in the center of each fall.

Iris ger. 'Raspberry Blush'

I will begin paying more attention to the irises in this garden and look forward to trying some different ones.

pbmGarden

Sense of place, purpose, rejuvenation and joy

Tag Archives: Iris germanica

In A Vase On Monday – April’s Mixed Bouquet

Morningtide On First Of May

Wordless Wednesday—Reblooming Surprise

In A Vase On Monday—Lemon Yellow

Chuck, Iris and Herbstfreude In Early Evening

Iris Cheer

Early Morning Garden In Early September

Enjoying The Garden

Raspberry Blush Iris

A Perfect Day In May

Raspberry Blush

The Difference In A Day