Waves of Change

Once the tulips and daffodils quit blooming, the gardening goes by waves of change.  About the time I'm mourning the end of one beautiful flower, another starts it's show.  It's one of the advantages of a diverse bloom season and used by landscapers to keep your yard interesting all year.

Right now I'm loving these beautiful iris:

This fragrant yellow re bloomer has a lot going on plus it was
from my daughter.  Always fun to connect a plant with someone you love.

Germanica "Celebration Song" has won many iris honors.

Heirloom Germanica Iris "Eleanor Roosevelt" named in 1933 in honor of the First
Lady planting a garden at the White House

This old favorite (the iris not the cat although she is a favorite too) is
Germanica Iris "Flavescens" and was hybridized in 1813.  Found it growing on
a roadside circle near Wyoming IL.  It has expanded and been divided more
times than I can count.  The cat has expanded but we don't divide her.

Another Heirloom, Germanica Iris "Gracchus" was hybridized in 1884.
They're pretty standing above the buttercups.

A white Dutch iris originally purchased from a big box store.

Crazy spattered and streaked Germanica Iris "Batik"
Hardy and huge, it's available in many places.

Germanica Iris "Lacy Snowflake" is a Schreiner iris.  Check out
their catalog if you want to be amazed.  I got this in 2009 from
Hornbaker Nursery, Princeton, before they discontinued their large iris beds.

This 1844 Heirloom "Mme. Chereau" is small and sweet.
It fragile and quirky but so lovely.

This Heirloom (1597) "Pallida Dalmatica" has been divided so many times, they're
all over my yard.  In Gerard's 1597 Herbal, he called it the "great Floure de-lice of Dalmatia".
It's used in Italy for perfumes and gin.

This 1909 Bertrand Farr iris "Quaker Lady" has all the delicacy and beauty
you could want from an iris plus it multiplies quickly.

Iridaceae "Red Zinger" is all that and very fragrant.  It's an award winner
and with good reasons.  

Heirloom "Wabash" is the background for this deep purple and very fragrant
iris.  I've no idea the name or where it came from but I'm grateful it's in my garden.
Wabash is a quick spreader and holds up well to rain.

I call this little beauty "Mom's French Iris" for sentimental reasons.
It's perfect against the gold bush.

I have quite a few bunches of small to tiny - lavender to purple iris that
people have given to me.  They are sweet and fun and thank you everyone.

If you're crazy for iris, check out other articles by looking to the right under "iris" - now how easy is that?