Next Year: Iris Sabbatical

I learned a lesson.  Next year I am reserving iris bloom time for only iris related activities.  I will enjoy the fruits of my labor more fully and visit the gardens of others!  I would add live blogging of my garden's progress, but I think that is just too much to expect.

Now that bloom season is winding down and I have labeled the 2,000+ garden photos so far, I am aim to feature one iris at a time.  The goal is to talk about its vigor and bloom in my garden in upstate New York near Rochester.

It was a long hard winter.  The late start and muddy mess that dominated the soil under an insulating blanket of snow, had me concerned.  Indeed many perennials in my garden did not live to see the 2014 season.  Some newly planted rhizomes did not make it.  This season the bloom overall was spectacular!  Some rhizomes newly planted last year produces profusely.  Here is the most incredible example:

'Thornbird' is a newly acquired American Dykes Medal winner (1997).  These blooms on three strong, 38" stalks are from one rhizome from Schreiner's planted last year.  Blooming was observed on June 8 when I returned from a four-day trip.  On June 14 several blooms were still beautiful.

The the ecru base of this flower, overlaid with violet and a greenish cast make it unique. Having seen pictures only I was not a devotee. Now that it has bloomed in my garden I am won over.  The blooms are large with great substance.  Deep violet beards that terminate in a thin horn accent the falls perfectly.

'Thornbird' (Monty Byers, 1988). TB, height 35" (89 cm), mid season bloom

Opening Day at Diamond Rise

Opening Day at Diamond Rise

Why Diamond Rise?  It isn't exactly "The Breakers" but we wanted a name for 1/2 acre.  Most of the property is behind (south) and east of the house. We are on a rise overlooking what used to be (and occasionally still is) the flood plain for Irondequoit Creek at the south edge of Monroe County.

This is the day of the year that most clearly demonstrates our choice of a name for our home.  Behind our house is the home of Honeoye Falls - Mendon Youth Baseball, five baseball diamonds where Little League and other youth baseball takes place from April through September.  Most of the activity is in May and June.  Today is the first Saturday with a lot of activity, so we assume it's opening day.

We both love baseball and enjoy the activity in our "backyard." Our dog, Koda, sees these folks as interlopers, but for 6 or 7 months of the year it's all his.  The folks that run the place could not be nicer.  It's a symbiotic relationship. They respect us and we keep an eye out for their property when no one else is there.

Being on this rise and over looking the baseball diamonds we call our place "Diamond Rise."

The irises love the well drained soil that slopes away from the house.

 

Panoramic view from our second floor deck.

Moving My Gardening to a New Blog

Irises and daylilies are pushing out parts of my activist existence.  It is the balance I have long needed.  When I am in the garden I feel a sense of rightness and serenity that I don't seem to find anyplace else. That is reason enough to move this into its own corner of the blogosphere.

I'll still maintain the other blog for the primal screaming and outrage at a world where people of faith and politicians have lost the ability to see the big picture that we are all God's children and we need to take love our neighbors as ourselves.

But here wil be my retreat, my oasis.  If I am here alone that's fine by me.  If some friends choose to share it that will be even better. Welcome!

Tall Bearded Iris: Harvest of Memories (Zurbrigg, 1984)  and unknown cultivar of blue Siberian iris.

Diamond Rise Garden - Summer 2011