Archive for May, 2010
Perennial of the Week-Bearded Iris
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When you are thinking about all of the beautiful Irises that you have seen, do you realize that you may have been looking at several different species of Iris rather just the more common Bearded Iris? There are also Iris species know as Japanese, Dutch, English, Reticulatas and many other species. In fact there are close to 300 species of Irises that can be found. Today I am going to talk about the Bearded Iris.
Bearded Irises are one of the most popular perennials planted around the world. Colors come in all shades except that of pure red and green. They also come in varying heights ranging from 8 inches high to some growing up to 4 feet high. Wow!
Bearded Iris performs best in well drained soil. They do not like to have their feet or roots wet. They are susceptible to root rot. In heavier clay soils consider planting them in raised beds. Plant in full sun with the “boot” or rhizome just barely under the soil, in fact the rhizome can be partially exposed. If they are planted too deep, you will not get any flowers the following spring.
This species of Iris grow from rhizomes (modified stem with fleshy roots) and need to split or divided every few years. Plant the rhizomes about a foot apart with the bend of the root pointed toward the back of your garden. These are a very hardy perennial.
Iris rhizomes are usually available for purchase in late July thru October. They should be planted as soon as you get them. Most gardeners will start thinning their Iris beds in July and many are willing to share extras that they are thinning out.
Check with your local garden clubs to see if they host any Iris Festivals in your area, usually in late May and early June. If there is a festival nearby take the time to enjoy a walk through the Irises. Iris Festivals are absolutely amazing, for you will see more than the common yellow and purple irises on display.
What are some your favorite Iris varieties that you have planted in your garden?
a gardening carnival – May 26, 2010
Posted by: | CommentsWelcome to the May 26, 2010 edition of a gardening carnival.
MomToCherubs presents Garden Progress posted at Simply Beck’s Bounty.
Reynold Austins presents Concrete Paver Designs posted at Pavers Over Concrete, saying, “Concrete paver designs are plentiful. There is a paver style for every personality; the possibilities truly are endless. It is worthwhile to invest your time and energy in soaking up some paving ideas to decide what landscaping route you wish to take – do you want circular pavers or rectangular, or something else?”
Reynold Austins presents Driveway Paving Prices posted at Pavers Over Concrete, saying, “Driveway paving prices for the labor work and material costs varies from region to region. The vast majority of driveways are made of gravel, or crushed stone with typical costs being $25-$30 per ton plus delivery which on average is $100 per load.”
flowers
GrrlScientist presents Pink Ranunculus posted at Living the Scientific Life, saying, “a stunning photo of a pretty flower”
gardening
Christina presents Global Interior Design London – Lighting a Garden for Safety Interior Designer Blog Entry posted at Global Interior Design London – Top Storage Solutions – Interior Designer Blog Entry, saying, “The Global Interior Design team have years of experience working on challenging home design dilemmas. You’ve reached the place where the Global Interior Design team share some of our top tips for homeowners, designers and decorators.”
Renee Benzaim presents What is a Worm Compost? posted at Compost Tumblers & Compost Making, saying, “Wormeries process compost faster and are easy to use. Just put the bedding in the bottom and the kitchen scraps, covered by bedding in the top, and add the worms in the middle. Some wormery compost making systems use vertical trays, some use horizontal trays and some don’t use any trays, but they all work quite well. Even dog poop can be put in a separate wormery compost making system. The worms will eat the poop and give you great castings for your ornamental garden.”
Lindsay presents Save Money Container Gardening with Recycled and Improvised Pots posted at Off the Urban Grid.
GrrlScientist presents How Will You Celebrate International Migratory Bird Day? posted at Living the Scientific Life, saying, “A list of things you can do to help birds and other native wildlife, from small day-to-day changes to becoming a citizen activist.”
The Backyard Grower presents Plant a Row 2010 posted at Bobbie Whitehead.
John presents Top 10 summer garden accessories posted at Become.com.
house plants
The Art of Doing Stuff – Karen presents Live Orchid Live | The Art of Doing Stuff posted at The Art of Doing Stuff, saying, “My name is Karen. And I’m an orchidaholic. I wrote this particular post because sometimes you just aren’t ready to let go yet.”
kids gardening
TaraV presents Five Ways to Get Kids to Love Gardening posted at Code Name: Mama.
Medhat Youssef presents Garden bird feeders posted at Wholesale bird feeders.
Host Bee presents Tip of the Week – Terrariums for Kids | Busy Bee Lifestyle posted at Busy Bee Lifestyle.
landscape
Samantha Marks presents The Benefits of Mondo Grass | Backyards And Gardens.com posted at backyardsandgardens.com.
Reynold Austins presents Pavers Over Concrete posted at Pavers Over Concrete, saying, “Preparing the base for your front or backyard is the most time consuming part of installing new pavers. For this reason, a lot of people always ask if it is possible, or indeed a good idea to install pavers over concrete.”
Reynold Austins presents Asphalt Driveway Pavers posted at Pavers Over Concrete, saying, “Asphalt driveway pavers are very much better looking than concrete and as such, a lot of people prefer them as they give the driveway a more homely look and feel.”
Reynold Austins presents Installing Paver Walkway posted at Pavers Over Concrete, saying, “Installing paver walkway, like all DIY work, requires a lot of prep work if the job is to run smoothly. A clear vision of how you want the walkway to be, with a simple diagram will be beneficial in preparing for the job.”
Reynold Austins presents Concrete Pavers Installation posted at Pavers Over Concrete, saying, “Concrete pavers installation is a lot of work, but can be very rewarding if you enjoy DIY. Whether you are installing your concrete pavers after work or over the weekend, your best bet is to undertake the work step by step.”
Reynold Austins presents Concrete Driveway Paving posted at Pavers Over Concrete, saying, “Building a concrete driveway paving is a beneficial addition to the appearance of your home. Concrete driveways are permanent, requires low maintenance, and can offer your kids a safe place to hand-out outdoors without having to go too far, not to mention the efficiency of having your own parking space!”
Reynold Austins presents Interlocking Concrete Paver posted at Pavers Over Concrete, saying, “An alternative to the standard concrete or even brick paving is the interlocking concrete paver, which has grown in popularity over the decades – especially in the US. Paving the front or backyard has become a common home improvement job, so much so that many homeowners are now into DIY paving.”
Reynold Austins presents Installing Driveway Pavers posted at Pavers Over Concrete, saying, “Did you know that most people know as much as installing driveway pavers as they do about fixing a computer, which is oftentimes very little. Yet they have an incline that the job is really not that complicated to justify the cost of hiring a contractor.”
Reynold Austins presents How to Lay Pavers posted at Pavers Over Concrete, saying, “Pavers can help add personality to your home. They are aesthetically pleasing, and with a wide variety of colours and designs to choose from you are sure to find one that’s pleasing to you.”
Reynold Austins presents Interlocking Driveway Pavers posted at Pavers Over Concrete, saying, “Interlocking driveway pavers are stronger and more durable over stamped on concrete, bricks and asphalt. Interlocking pavers are extremely flexible in that there is a vast array of colours, sizes and shapes, and for this reason (as well as numerous others) they are a popular choice for homeowners.”
Reynold Austins presents Concrete Paving Stone posted at Pavers Over Concrete, saying, “There are many benefits of opting to have a concrete paving stone landscape for your driveway, walkway, or backyard…”
vegetables
Olga Poltava presents First Fruits of My Labor posted at Olga’s Home & Garden Blog.
The Cheap Vegetable Gardener presents 2-liter bottle upside down tomato planter posted at The Cheap Vegetable Gardener, saying, “Quick and easy project to grow some upside down tomato plants”
Jeff McIntire-Strasburg presents Awesome Perennial Garden Plants: How To Grow Rhubarb posted at sustainablog
Mrs. Accountability presents Spring 2010 Gardening posted at Out of Debt Again, saying, “Spring has sprung in Arizona, and a picture of my green beans growing up around the sturdy sunflower stems from last year.”
That concludes this edition. Submit your blog article to the next edition of a gardening carnival using our carnival submission form. The next issue of A Gardening Carnival will be available on June 30, 2010.
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Annual of the Week-Petunia
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One of the most popular and versatile annuals found in the horticulture world is the petunia. You can probably find any shade of color that you want and would be able to plant it anywhere other than a deep shaded area in your garden. If you can give it sunlight it will grow.
However, not every petunia is the same. There are a couple of distinctive characteristics that are set petunia apart from each other. So distinct that petunia are separated into different classifications: grandiflora, multiflora, milliflora, trailing and mounding types.
Petunia Hybrid Grandiflora: Grandiflora types produce the largest flowers of all petunia, however they will bear the least amount of flowers. These plants can grow as tall as 24 inches and certain varieties or strains can give you a spreading habit of 24-36 inches wide. Some of the more popular strains are Ultra, Storm, Magic and Frost.
Petunia Hybrid Multiflora: This is also known as a floribunda. Plant growth or habit is similar to that of the Grandiflora varieties, but the flowers are smaller, usually only producing flowers that are 2 inches across. Certain strains offer a neat compact habit that makes them excellent for mass planting in flower beds. Prime Time, Celebrity, Plum, and Whispers are strains that can offer the widest range of colors for your garden.
Petunia Hybrid Milliflora: These are cute dwarf petunias growing in mounding habits of about 6 to 8 inches in height and width. One of the best features is that there is no need for pinching or pruning to keep these babies in tip top shape. Dainty flowers cover the whole plant offering a burst of color in containers or in your garden. Plant them where they can be seen and not covered over. You will find these as Fantasy or Tiny Tunias.
Trailing and Mounding Petunia: You might have heard or seen the Purple Wave petunia, but have you seen the Tidal Wave or even the Ramblin’ petunias? These phenomenal petunias definitely have made a splash in the cascading flowering plants. Some of these varieties can grow up to 5 feet wide. That is a lot of color to have in one area.
Petunias are a flower that everyone has had in their garden at one time; personally I think you should have them somewhere all of the time. I find that the purple ones, no matter which variety offers the best fragrance to enjoy from your garden. Plant them and enjoy.
