Tag: Iris

Early Summer Flowers

Front – North

Early summer is for Lavender!  The Lavender/purple aliums self seeded themselves into the day lily garden.  They were a wonderful surprise the first year they sprang up.  I had planted the aliums along the hedge of the day lily garden, next to the hedge, several years ago in an attempt to fill up a blank space there.  Over time the day lilies took over the whole space and the lilies threw their seed out into the day lily garden.  I love the result!  And the best part:  I didn’t have to dig in those huge lily bulbs.

The lavender blooms of the Korean dwarf lilac hide the interior of the front porch giving privacy throughout the summer, and their fragrance is very strong.  You can smell them from the driveway as you approach the front door.  Wonderful greeting!

Willow Garden – South border

Early summer brings Iris and flowering shrubs to the Willow garden.    Pink blooming Red Sand cherry, white blooming leather leaf Viburnum, and pink  blooming Black lace viburnum (not in bloom here – it blooms later in the summer).

Willow garden – south side shrubs

The gold mound Spirea puts on a brilliant show with just the leaves, in bright yellow and chartreuse.  Later it will flower in a delicate pink as the yellow leaves mature to a slightly darker green.

The willows themselves, which grow in the middle of this garden, also flower, but their flowers are

Willow garden – North side shrubs

insignificant if you aren’t up close.  They look like little yellow bottle brushes, 2″ long and about 1/4″ around.

 

 

 

South Noodle Garden – Rust and Orange iris and Ohio Buckeye Tree

These rust and orange mixed Iris are filling in wonderfully in the street-side noodle gardens.  The baby buckeye trees is struggling – but I’ve been babying him along – time will tell.

Butterfly garden – Iris (??, Hello darkness, Sharp Dressed Man)

I love the combination of purples in this Iris grouping.

Cupola with purple alium

The witches hat cupola looks wonderful with the purple aliums dancing in front.

Pom Poms!  There are actually 4 shrubs here.  I planted 2 on each side of the drive river bed.  I had planned on putting an arched trellis between the shrubs to created a walkway to the stone patio which is behind them, but they have grown together now, so I’m not sure if I have the heart to cut them back.

Butterfly garden – Pom Pom shrubs

 

 

The yellow leafed ninebark is striking with the red barberry.

 

South Shoulder

 

 

 

 

IRIS

Iris is a staple in my garden.  It’s so easy to grow, and it seems to like this crappy soil (although I do cheat and put down some gravel for drainage in the planting bed). I splurged and bought these fancy black, white and pink iris from Iris-4U, they’re local here in Denver, CO.  (https://www.iris4u.com/ )

Black, white and pink

The store is just  a private residence, who grows Iris on both sides of his house, on a large lot.  He does a wonderful job, they are all labeled and organized well, and they have a catalog too.  He opens the garden in the late spring when the Iris bloom so you can see what you like.  the pick them out, and in the fall he harvests the tubors for you, and labels them.  then you go pick them up.

Inmortality
Black magic

 

And two varieties of pink, Pink reflection which is a very light pink and a dusty pink Iris.   they were beautiful the first year, but now they need to be moved – the Canadian Red Cherry leafs out too soon and puts down too much shade.  That’ OK, I’ll find them another location in the garden that they will like better.

I planted a mix or yellow, orange, bronze and rust colored Iris on the street-side of the south berm.  They also did extremely well, and had to be moved,

Orange, Yellow and Rust colored Iris

as the blue rug juniper overtook the hill they were planted on.  I sent a bunch to my Mom in Utah, and then a transplanted the rest into the south noodle gardens.

First year for the Orange and Rust Iris, south berm, street side
Orange/bronze Iris moved into the noodle garden fall of 2017.

 

 

 

 

 

They are much happier here!

Shades of purple, peach and white mix with the darker purple salvia at the base of the west berm.  I planted some exotic “Safari” mix (Brecks bulbs).  Purple, hot pink and orange with stripes and spots.  AMAZING! the first year, but then all the

Iris and Salvia, base of west berm

stripes and spots disappeared.  they replaced the bulbs the next fall, and again the first year they were beautiful, and then the second year all the spots and stripes disappeared.  Sigh.    this is what they were supposed to look like:

I received a large quantity of dark purple Iris from a friend, whose nieghbor was tearing them out.  I love freebies!  And these are spectacular.  I have no idea what the variety is though.

Purple Iris, free from Kimberlee

Mom’s yellow iris and some new purple ones I thought would look good with them.  These Iris remind me of my childhood; Mom always had Iris in her garden, she still does.

Mom’s yellow Iris and some new purple ones I added 2 years ago.

“Since Iris is the Greek goddess for the Messenger of Love, her sacred flower is considered the symbol of communication and messages.  Greek men would often plant an iris on the graves of their beloved women as a tribute to the goddess Iris, whose duty it was to take the souls of women to the Elysian fields.”   
Hana No Monogatari: The Stories of Flowers

Iris Spring 2018

These Iris were from an “exotic” blend I purchased from Breck’s bulbs. Baboon bottom, Zebra stripe, Tiger, and blue batik. They were supposed to be spotted and stripped. They came out as pictured. I complained to Brecks and they sent me a new shipment. They also did not show their stripes. sigh. They’re still quite pretty.
Iris Spring 2018 (If I can remember the variety, I’ll update later.)
These Iris were moved last fall from the base of the south berm, street side. The carpet juniper over took them. I didn’t expect them to bloom, but their first year after transplant was surprisingly pleasing. White alium is in the foreground, and blooming red twig dogwood in the background.
Gypsy Queen Spring 2018
Midnight Black Iris Spring 2018
The yellow and white Iris in this bed are a gift from my Mother.  She planted these Iris in her garden in San Jacinto Ca. in 1972. (I think she got them from her Mother’s garden, but I’m not completely sure about that.) She took some with her to Salt Lake City Ut in 1974. When I bought my first house in 1989 she sent me some in a box, to Aurora CO. When I moved to my current, and permanent home here in Brighton CO, I of course, took them with me. These Iris have a long and loving history.