Another one of my favorite blooms right now (late spring to early summer) are the light, airy DUTCH IRIS. They are usually planted in the fall with the tulip and daffodil bulbs. Although they are perennials, they don't bloom reliably if they get too wet, so plant them in an area where they will be dry in their dormant period in the summer. (Or another option is to lift the bulbs after their foliage ripens and store them in paper bags in a warm, dry, dark place over summer). After they flower, feed them with a fertilizer like bonemeal or triple super phosphate (my favorite to use). These 18-22" plants are excellent, long-lived cut flowers, but just remember that by cutting them you are removing most of their foliage and so they probably won't return the following year. Because of this, I usually plan on planting new bulbs every year or two in a sunny spot. They are relatively inexpensive (about $5.00 for 25 bulbs) so it's easy to do this. Plant 6" deep and 6" apart. I've also heard that it is wise to dig them up and plant them in a new place every 2 years, and that, though hardy, they may require protection against severe winter conditions (like a mulch or evergreen boughs). They come in shades of yellows, blues, lavenders, and whites, as shown in the 4 varieties I have in the beds. Their standards are the inner petals that stand upright, and the falls are the outer petals that open downwards, with their characterisitc contrasting 'blotch'. This year I'm going to order some White Wedgewood--white standards and white falls, with a yellow blotch. Most mail-order bulbs companies willl have Dutch Iris.
CHECK OUT MY NEW PLAY LIST! I've added new songs--Some of my FAVORITES! LET ME KNOW HOW YOU LIKE THEM! Just click on the first one and they'll run through the list. I hope you like them! ENJOY!!
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