Tag: Garden

The Iris Bed

The iris bed at the historic cemetery is complete, and with it the fence garden project is fully complete. The response from the community to the full fence garden project has been incredible. The other day while I was working on the iris bed, a lady stopped her vehicle mid-road to tell me she drives by there every day and she really appreciates the updates on the garden. She went on for a bit – cars were building up behind her. But she really wanted to say thanks! And no one honked to push her along. A gentleman with a little girl on a bike came by that same day, and she must have been prompted, but she said it looked great and said thanks. Very sweet. She parked her bike and they went on to go walk around inside the cemetery. These things matter. Today someone who looked at a home in our development came to the cemetery and thanked us. Very random thing to happen. It is incredible and brings me great joy!

So the iris bed took about 8 hours – the initial dig of five irises from the small garden that was to be moved – the survival test, then the landscape fabric and mulch (and I had awesome help with that!), then weeding along the edge that met the sidewalk – just me wanting a nice end product, then the (digging) move of the rest of the small garden (Thursday and Friday morning), and the final remaining planting (Saturday morning).

I tell you, that iris bed was exactly as muscle wearing and sweaty as I expected. But it was fun to accomplish and I am happy with the results. I had thought about it and planned it and talked with the primary site managers about moving that small garden, and then I had the perfect opportunity – some vacation and a few nice days before the heat returned.

So, I present to you the iris bed – 25 iris holes plus three other plants that were also in that small garden that I moved.

Time to slow the pace. Should be maintenance from here out. Some plant donations are coming for the empty areas on the other side, but should be nothing like that iris garden! That was a “not to be repeated anytime soon” effort 🙂.

Friday night I teased the primary managers of the site – saying I was thinking we should dig out the big garden next year and get that out of the shade and into the sun along the inside of the fence – thinking maybe 300 bags of mulch. I quickly followed up with a JK, to which I received an “oh good!” response. I think we all need a rest!!! It has been fun but A LOT of consistent persistent effort from many people. And for that, and for the opportunity, I am grateful!

Naomi Ruth?

So, for the life of me, I cannot remember this daylily’s name.

I think it might be Naomi Ruth, but I am not absolutely certain. Naomi Ruth is a diploid. If I cross tall cream colored daylily with Tender Love, and get a seed pod, I will get closer to certainty. Bloom again soon please, Tender Love, before tall cream colored daylily finishes up blooming.

Tall cream colored daylily also threw a lot of pollinator or wind or whatever created seed pods this year, so maybe in 4-5 years, lol, I could see the parentage. Yah … or not. Those pollinator created seeds that do grow seedlings take FOREVER to bloom. I could have great-grandchildren by then. Ok, a bit of exaggeration maybe, but seriously, bloom or become deer food. Oh, that is another post, for another day.

For now, tall cream colored daylily suspected to be Naomi Ruth.

More please

We are down to one daylily bloom per day. After Marque Moon bloomed her last, hanging out a bit with Coral Majority, things really slowed down.

But then there is Tender Love.

Tender Love is a very later bloomer. And one of my new favorites. I would not change one single thing about her. In fact, I would like more. She is perfection. And she is ever so slightly fragrant. She is also a diploid, and she would be wonderful to cross. But I do not have any diploids that are still blooming. Maybe need to fix that.

I knew it!

The daylilies are almost done blooming, the hostas are starting to get that “tired” look, but the sedum! I knew it a few days ago! They had that “look” where I was prompted to check for pink. Sure enough! Today they started to bloom! Not all of them, just the ones with the most sun exposure. But it is starting!

Daylilies and Sun

The difference sun makes to daylilies. The top two daylilies were last year’s seedlings. The next one is this year’s but broken off by those naughty squirrels digging. The fourth is this year’s and not broken off by the squirrels. The 3rd and 4th were grown in full sun almost all day. Hopefully transplanting them to a little less sunny spot will be ok. If not I will move them.

Daylily decisions

At the townhouse I have, for the past five years, harvested our unintentional crop of daylily seeds, grown them to seedlings, and planted them in our gardens. I made a seedling bed that then got overshadowed by our new grill and the seedlings are not sending up scapes. They need more sun.

I also finally got my stuff together this season and found an online site that shows ploidy (and parentage). Glory! My nerdy self is going gonzo trying crosses! And I am getting intentionally planned seed pods! Now whether they are successful to bloom, we shall see. But – I need to make room, here.

For years we have done a delicate dance. Hubs loves to have townhome services. I would love a back yard I could convert from a chemical and water needy space to a daylily, hosta, and sedum oasis. But that is not our reality. So, I am working within the container I have now, and continually working to optimize it. Oh wow! Did I just combine minimalist, decluttering, and optimization principals all in one sentence? What has become of me? Is there any hope left? JK 😉

Anyways …

I have daylily seedlings in the ground, daylily seedlings in pots, and daylily seeds being made. And I want to see what they ALL do. Not have the deer eat them up north. Or have them dry up for lack of watering while we are not there. Plus, I want to re-buy the daylilies I bought and then planted at the little house up north we sold last year. Not many. 5 or 6. May as well make it 6.

YIKES!

I’m sure I will figure SOMETHING out. At least a next step. For the need this year. Directionally correct, gradual progress, and all that …

Two more “lasts”

Our gardens are not tiny, but they are small enough that I notice bloom “lasts” for the season. Rain is coming, but thankfully it held off until mid-morning so I could enjoy a couple more “lasts”. Tirzah bloomed her last today, as well as Cedar Waxwing.

I am hoping Tirzah’s baby sister gets to be as tall as she is in the next couple years. She is truly strong enough in her presence to only require one in a space. I cannot find her ploidy, and I have not been successful with crosses. She just may not want kids scattered about!

But she is one of my faves. I will miss her.