Too Much of a Good Thing

It is certainly possible to have too much of a good thing. My relationship with carrot cake comes immediately to mind. Right now I am in the same situation with the bearded iris, sometimes known as Iris x germanica, in my garden. Many years ago, when my current garden was just getting off the ground, … Read more

Scented Iris

We are a long way from the ancient Greeks, but their gods and mythological heroes are still with us in many plant names.  One of the loveliest ancient deities in our gardens is Iris, goddess of the rainbow, whose namesake flowers stand tall each spring. I can’t think of an ugly iris, but I am … Read more

Summer House Iris

About ten years ago, a friend gave me  a single large iris rhizome division.  It was from a tall, bearded type that grew in carefree splendor in her western New York garden.  I planted it in the free-draining soil at our family’s summer cottage in Central New York and it grew, or maybe “grew” is … Read more