Wednesday, April 05, 2006

The iris are blooming!


This is the first bloom; there are actually about 5-6 of them open now, but I couldn't get tham all in the photo without losing detail. An old neighbor gave me these irises about 25 years ago and I planted them at our old house. When we moved 2 years later, I brought some of them with me. At first, they were blues and purples and so large as to look like cattleya orchids. As the years went on, they got lighter and lighter in color and the heads became smaller and smaller. I have divided them 3-4 times in the last 23 years (I know it should be done more often). Every now and then, one of them reverts back to normal color; I never know when I am going to have a pretty lavender-blue or purple iris popping out instead of the white. I like that!
The flowers to the left are the blooms of money plant. It will form it's "money" in the fall, and I will show you how that looks when the time comes.

14 comments:

Daisy said...

I wonder if the color of the iris is affected by the acidity of the soil such as hydrangeas??

Pat said...

I love irises. Mine won't be out for ages. It's time I divided mine again but I find it quite difficult to split them. I'm pretty fit but my right thumb gives me a lot of discomfort and is a right b....r when I'm trying to do something like that. Really can't grumble - but I do!

Anonymous said...

you and your Spring flowers, Judy! We are just enjoying the first crocus in Michigan. Iris seem to be the flowers that are most often shared and moved from place to place. I have 5-6 different colors from different friends and friends have mine, as well.

Traci Dolan said...

I love irises. So wish I had a green thumb!

srp said...

No irises here yet but I have found a blue flower that I can't identify. Mom thinks my grandmother brought it here from Roanoke years ago. It is lovely and I haven't given up yet, but the books and internet are not helping. My wildflowers have sprouted and the daylily are doing well. When do 4 O'clocks come up after planting?

Anonymous said...

Oooo vintage plants! Cool! Still jealous here in no=plants-yet Minnesota.

Chancy said...

Beautiful photos of lovely iris. Also, I had never seen a money plant until my daughter and SIL bought a new-old house a few years back. The original owners had built the house 30 years ago and were evidently avid gardeners My daughter inherited,among others, a money plant. I love to see it when the flowers dry and the coins appear. These plants are supposed to bring wealth :)

Anonymous said...

I had such beautiful irises back in Georgia. Tons of purple bearded irises. I miss those but up here I have peonies. Beautiful pink peonies. :-)

AC said...

I saw your comment on *melange* regarding 4-o'clocks. (mirabilis) For us (east tennessee foothills), it takes a long time for them to come up in the spring - they come up here self-sown from the first planting I did several years ago. I never know quite where to expect them, but when is usually after it really warms up. Then they bloom into fall.

I can't believe how beautiful your wisteria is.

I have trouble with moldy *money* although the spring blooms are sure pretty.

Gel said...

Oh I cannot wait, Judy. Irises are my favorite flower. I can't garden but I can paint and photograph them (and admire them if I'm lucky enough to have been given a gift of real irises, although I prefer seeing flowers in their natural state.)

Recently one of my photographs of an iris was honored and chosen to permanently decorate the walls of the re-dedicated Infusion Center in a hospital near me for their Arts in Healing Program. I haven't had a chance to blog that yet. (Wonderful program :).
It's the photo that is on top of my comment box. To have such a variety of irises is heaven. Enjoy and looking forward to photos however long it takes! :)

Jamie Dawn said...

Pretty flowers, Kenju.

Marie said...

Iris' already. That's awesome. Save your dried money plants...people pay real money for them at the Valle Fair.

atpanda said...

My mother has a beautiful garden in her front yard that is full of firecracker flowers. She brought these flowers all the way to Arizona from Florida, where they were growing at her grandma's house! Isn't it amazing that flowers can hold all those memories?
Kenju, thanks for visiting my site!

dena said...

I love irises. There are so many varieties, and they are always such a welcoming sign of the warm weather that will soon arrive (for good!).

I love money plant, as well. Haven't seen any growing in some time.