Oodles of Irises

Laddy Lau


Fall is the perfect time to separate irises while the ground is becoming more cool and the growing season nears to an end.  Irises are known for their gorgeous flowers.  However, irises tend to spread and clump together, via rhizomes, leading to reduced blossoms each year.  Therefore, they really benefiIt from periodic separation so beautiful blooms continue to emerge in the spring.

For large clumps, use a shovel and dig about 1 foot around the perimeter of the clump to account for the roots.  With a hand trowel, you should be able to gather up the clump and shake off any excess dirt.

Now that we are disturbing the roots, it helps to trim the leaf fan back to allow the plant to direct its growing energy to the roots rather than support the full leaf fan.

You can gradually parse irises by using pruning tools or separate by hand. Select an individual rhizome with a central leaf fan for transplanting.

Once you have prepared your soil, place your newly divided irises just below the soil surface.  Iris rhizomes need plenty of air, sunlight and a well-drained soil to establish itself and produce blooms for the following spring!

Reblooming Iris....... Surprise!!!!!!!

Michele K. Koskinen

Spring Bloom with Huerchera

My garden has gone into the August stage of few perennials blooming and the fall look of foliage far too early. This has been a strange year for my perennials. Many bloomed too early and were finished by the beginning of August. Some did not look happy with the early heat and some I lost in the June storm.


But, a mid August surprise. Tucked in behind the "never die" Sedum and Coreopsis I have a beautiful Bluish Iris blooming again. Where did this come from? I then remembered getting a plant from a swap with another gardener last year. It bloomed beautifully in the spring I had no idea it would give me pleasure twice this year. It's fragrance is soft and sweet, and the palest wisteria and white with a pale yellow tongue.

Sedum and Coreopsis in fall

It is a breath of spring in the doldrums of mid hot August. I have looked high and low but there are thousands of iris and I have no idea the name of this beauty. Oh well, it does not matter I love it anyway and will look at replacing those I lost with reblooming ones next year.