Been a little crazy, weather-wise here. One day we're up in the 80's, the next it's 42 for the high. Some of the irises sent up bloom stalks too early, and lost them in a later freeze. Sad but true. But we're Texans, here...and big swings are the norm.
I think we really are done with the freezes--I check the mesquite trees to be sure, but they have yet to confirm my belief. Mesquites are the final arbiters of the Official End of Winter here...they absolutely do not leaf bud or bloom until it's safe to come out. They just don't.
At any rate, I have had a wonderful time with the irises that have come out since that last freeze, and I've worked hard to identify them as they bloom. Here is a PicMonkey photo of the irises I have identified ('cept for that peachy one), not that they've all bloomed yet, but these I know we have. Plus a few that have blooms now...have I mentioned I love irises? :~)
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| Names from L to R, top to bottom: Immortality, Grandma's Blue Flag, ???, Dauntless, Before the Storm, Celebration Song, Magical Encounter, Carriage Trade, Drama Queen. |
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| This one hasn't bloomed yet, but it's begun to put on a lot of new leaf growth, so it might bloom this year! Secret Service. |
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| Just identified this one yesterday...had to bring the bloom in to photograph because the wind was crazy! After some searching, I found out that this one is Sable. |
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| These are irises I grew at our place up in North Texas, when we lived out by the lake. I had no idea what I was growing, nor did I care. I put them all around, they bloomed, and I was happy. |
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| Same place...and now that I'm so taken up with I.D.ing them, I hope I brought some of each of these fascinating types...I know I did bring lots of them with me. I've dragged these poor things around for TEN YEARS, but we never lived in one place long enough or in a place with good planting conditions in all that time. All that is changed, now that we're here. Woohoo! |
Beautiful flowers. I love the irises. Your yard will be a show place.
ReplyDeleteThose are so beautiful! They remind me of growing up in Texas. My mom had them planted on one side of the house, and I loved watching them open. I remember there were some purple and yellow ones that were my favorites. I bet if I tried to plant them here the deer (or the rabid rabbits) would eat them.
ReplyDeleteI can grow daffodils, though! :)
The purple and yellow ones you mention are likely the old heirloom irises...they are some of the most beautiful, and the most enduring. As to the deer, the last two photos were taken at our old place--34 acres full of deer and rabbits, and they never got nibbled. Even the ones by the garden shed away from the house!
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