Garden design question, Irises?
Adrienne Snyder
Hi,
I am planning to make a new flower bed for next year. I would
like to put bearded Irises in. Once the blooms are done I would like
to still have color for the rest of the summer. I have one bed where
I put in daffidils and day lilys so I have some color in the early
spring and then summer. Does any one have any suggestions?
thanks
Adrienne
Scott D. Jung
I have a similar bed. i have planted Daisies and Black Eyed Susans.
I also have MUMS. I should have color throughout the summer.
Scott
Adrienne Snyder <a...@stamp.unx.dec.com> wrote:
:)>Hi,
:)> I am planning to make a new flower bed for next year. I would
:)>like to put bearded Irises in. Once the blooms are done I would like
:)>to still have color for the rest of the summer. I have one bed where
:)>I put in daffidils and day lilys so I have some color in the early
:)>spring and then summer. Does any one have any suggestions?
:)>thanks
:)>Adrienne
Scott Jung
ju...@ix.netcom.com
http://www.geocities.com/SunsetStrip/2392
"Bob Dole, like many poiticians, is like Neopolitan Ice Cream...
the flavor is determined by how and where you scoop."
Scott Jung
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That is why most men dread it."
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Dennis Mathiasen
Adrienne Snyder <a...@stamp.unx.dec.com> wrote:
> I am planning to make a new flower bed for next year. I would
>like to put bearded Irises in. Once the blooms are done I would like
>to still have color for the rest of the summer. I have one bed where
>I put in daffidils and day lilys so I have some color in the early
>spring and then summer. Does any one have any suggestions?
Adrienne - where are you? How large is the bed? What colors do you
like best? What are the soil conditions? (repressing the urge to
start listing 30-40 plants I like alot) If you especially like irises
there are other kinds that can extend the season. Many Siberians are
excellent, and if conditions are right - Japanese. If you are in a
long season area there are also re-blooming tall bearded irises.
Most important - what's the general effect you want to create?
Dennis Mathiasen
Zone 4b Central NY
Rick155
Adrienne, while I know that there are many bearded iris enthusiasts out
there, I've always used groups of irises mixed in with many other plants,
taking advantage of their distinctive foliage to provide visual texture
throughout the summer. Since they grow up and not out and increase slowly,
I've found you can plant just about anything you want fairly close to them
without worrying too much about spacing. So my advice is, plant whatever
pleases you, but look for foliage contrast for best effect in a mixed
garden.
Rick
Tristan Hatton-Ellis
ju...@ix.netcom.com (Scott D. Jung) wrote:
>I have a similar bed. i have planted Daisies and Black Eyed Susans.
>I also have MUMS. I should have color throughout the summer.
>Scott
>Adrienne Snyder <a...@stamp.unx.dec.com> wrote:
>
>:)>Hi,
>
>:)>like to put bearded Irises in. Once the blooms are done I would like
>:)>to still have color for the rest of the summer. I have one bed where
>:)>I put in daffidils and day lilys so I have some color in the early
>:)>spring and then summer. Does any one have any suggestions?
>
>:)>thanks
>:)>Adrienne
The leaves of bearded irises are rather spectacular in their own right, so
I would tend to interplant with something rather wispy and insubstantial to
contrast with those blue-grey swords. Some good examples might be Cosmos or
Larkspur (both annuals), Verbena bonariensis (perennial, but not very
hardy), Gypsophila or Coreopsis verticillata (perennial). One of the better
forms of Eryngium planum might be good too.
Tristan
Laura Mironsky
>>I always plant (very carefully) gladiolus bulbs among my iris.
The foliage is very similar, both blend together perfectly.
Laura
BK Wallacebowden
In article <31B582...@stamp.unx.dec.com>, Adrienne Snyder <a...@stamp.unx.dec.com> says:
>
>Hi,
>
> I am planning to make a new flower bed for next year. I would
>
>Adrienne
Adrienne,
I have a couple of particularly effective iris beds with season-long
color. Here's the "recipe":
Select the site for your iris bed, determining the size according to the
available space in your landscape. Add half again the same size width to
your bed when you prepare it (i.e. a 4 x 12 foot bed becomes a 6 x 12 foot
plot). Outline the entire bed with landscape timbers, building up the
bed to whatever height you want. (One thickness of timber will raise it
about three inches above ground; one width of timber will raise it about
4 1/2 inches, etc.) Lay timbers within the bed to set up three part to
your plot. Using the 6 x 12 bed as example, you layout should allow for
two beds of irises, one on each side, and a center bed of annuals or
flowering perennials.
_________________________________________
| IRISES |
|---------------------------------------|
| annuals or flowering perennials |
|---------------------------------------|
| IRISES |
_________________________________________
Next year, when the irises finish blooming and you're down to foliage,
use long bladed sharp gardening shears to trim the iris foliage back to
about 4 inches, creating a stubby fan-like plant. These beds of "fans"
continue to feed the iris rhizomes and prepare them for next year's bloom
and they create an attractive oriental looking border for you flowering
plants in the center bed. They'll look festive all summer long.
Let me know how the setup works in your yard!
Happy gardening!
*** Dig in the dirt each day
**O** and let your inner child play!
***
|/\ Brenda K. Wallacebowden
\/|
| The COMMON SENSE gardener
~~~~~~~~~
\ / email to jazz...@midwest.net
| | (web page in the works...)
| |
~~~~~~~~~
Alan Kornheiser
The horrible fact is that irises are pretty ratty looking when they're
not in flower. This is life, sort of, and not much to be done about it.
However, there are some irises with remarkably good-looking silver and
gold foliage; these variagated irises aren't as showy in their flowers
but look great as foliage plants. You might try them.