It is time to thin the Irises. When I read about when and how to do this, everything said August. Well if you live in Southern California, August is about the last month you would want to do any serious work in the yard, so I was dreading the task.
And we have lots and lots of irises. When we initially planted we had a basket of bulbs we had dug out of an overcrowded, neglected, and sunless bed on the East side of the house. Then in my infinite wisdom about plants, (meaning none) I had my daughter put one here, and one there, kinda willy nilly, figuring let’s see what happens.
Well three years later those few have become many! I could not be more pleased, but once you have the super bloom, which we did this year, they have to be dug up, thinned and replanted. IN AUGUST!
In August the yard looks like this, and even more so. Definitely not easily accessible….sigh
I am going to tackle it, somehow. For not only do I want the irises to keep blooming, which they won’t if they are crowded, I also want to create a delineation between the grass and the wildness with a fence of irises. If only to keep the postal workers from tromping through the plants.
Thankfully the weather is cooperating. It was hotter this morning for Little Miss Happiness of the North, than it was for me in Southern California. Go figure, but I am good with it, no complaining here.
All I can say is, you messy plants better get outta the way, for I’m armed with my shovel again!
Oh my word, Belinda! I love your garden. Irises are some of my favorites, but I never knew how to really grow them. I’ve just had one or two here and there over the years. I also like your stepping stones!
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Thank you much, it has been so much fun!
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Yes, I’m always trying to make my yard “whimsical” but sometimes the drought here in central California gets in the way!
Debra
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Yes, the drought has been bitter sweet for us too. We lost our beautiful cedar tree in the front yard. I would never have cut the tree down for a flower garden, but when it became dangerous from lack of water we had to have it removed, and I never would have guessed that I would replace it with fruit trees and flowers. And then be pleasantly surprised that because everything but the small patch of grass remaining is watered with soaker hoses, we are using considerably less water then we did when the entire yard was grass, even with the shade tree. Also it might not appear to be so, but the flowering plants are drought tolerant. I did though have to give up my dream of mixing edibles with flowers. Vegetables are not forgiving when it comes to low water usage, and anyway, buying the water is more expensive than buying veggies at the grocery store. I have to be practical, well except for tomatoes, money has nothing to do with it when a homegrown tomato is on the line.
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Yep!
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I love your garden! Have fun! 🙂
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Thanks Kathy, it is finally coming together, and this summer I am minimally watering, and what thrives gets to stay, and the water hogs are getting the boot by dying. Very convenient that😆
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Your neighbors are so blessed to have the colorful view you provide!
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Thank you, they have been very patient throughout the grass removal process. It looked really really bad for a lot longer than it has looked good.
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