Monday, April 18, 2011

There's An App,Oops---Iris For That!

Tall bearded iris

You may have heard a commercial where they repeat the phrase "There's an app for that." In case you don't know, app is short for application used in computer software designed to help a user perform a specific task and most recently for iPhones and iPads. At Pittsgrove, John and I often hear people say "I love iris, but my property is too wet" or in other cases, "too dry" or "too shady". Well, we have an iris for that!

Bearded iris are perfect for those full sun, very dry areas and range in size from border friendly Lilliput dwarf to background size tall bearded, all of which are available in a wide array of colors.
Dwarf bearded iris with friends

Moisture loving Louisiana and Japanese can be ideal for those areas where you may have difficulty growing plants due to periodic wet conditions. Louisiana, pseudacorus, and versicolor can actually sit in water.
Iris laevigata and pseudacorus

Siberian iris flourish in most common garden areas, blooming well in both full sun and part shade and have grassy foliage that looks attractive even when not in bloom.
Siberians on display

Really short on sun, then iris cristata may be just what you are looking for since these jaunty little, rapidly spreading iris are well-suited for that shady glade on your property.
Iris Cristata

John and I know nothing about apps, but we do know iris and with so many options available, there is sure to be the perfect iris awaiting a home in your garden. And for those of you who are tech savvy, I'm sure there's an app for that!

Happy Spring!
Cheryl

Tuesday, April 5, 2011

Baby Blessed and Blessed with a Baby

Baby Blessed Dwarf Bearded

Baby Blessed is the dwarf bearded iris that I have written about before and is a sturdy, beautiful little plant that we should be seeing in bloom within the next few weeks.

Just as iris continue to grow
at Pittsgrove, our family is also expanding with the addition of a beautiful grand daughter on March 31. Jeremy and his wife, Christina, are the proud, first-time parents and all of us were thrilled to have a new family member who will one day play in the dirt with us. No, we don't expect her to join the family business, but what child doesn't like getting as dirty as possible outdoors. As I have nicknames for her cousins the Fairy Princess and Vehicle Boy, this sweet baby, whose name is derived from the Greek word helios for sun, will be known in this and future blogs as Sunshine.
Sunray Reflections-tall bearded

Along with the Baby Blessed that we gave Jeremy to plant at their house, we gave him Sunray Reflections, since Sunshine has brightened our lives and is a reflection of the love Jeremy and Christina have for one another.

Think Spring!
Cheryl