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

DIG IT--Trajectory SDB

It is now official, we have entered the spring season although our forecast for today and later this week calls for snow showers here at Pittsgrove. What can you expect, it is still March and anyone who has lived in Jersey knows that March is anything but predictable as far as weather is concerned.
We did have nice enough weather to allow us to get caught up on lots of outdoor tasks last week and the sunshine and fresh air sure were welcome. Most of the beds look pretty good and our first daffodil bloomed yesterday morning. I am now anticipating the arrival of our first iris blooms, but will have to be patient for a few more weeks.

One that has had a good, past track record is Trajectory, a standard dwarf bearded (SDB). It ranges in height from 12-13" and is slightly fragrant. It was and AIS Honorable Mention in 1999 and Award of Merit winner in 2003. It makes a nice addition to a rock garden or in a border planting.

Happy Spring!!!
Cheryl

Pittsgrove Takes a Break

Garrett and John making a display bed for dwarf bearded iris

Wow, I can't believe spring has gone and we are officially into summer! It was great reacquainting with visitors from the last couple of years and meeting new folks here at Pittsgrove. I swear we have the most interesting and warm-hearted people stop in to wander the gardens and talk plants, birds, the weather, what have you. Makes me smile just at the thought.
Vehicle Boy and The Fairy Princess hard at work
We put in a lot of work throughout the spring, adding new display beds and freshening the growing beds. We even put Vehicle Boy and his sister The Fairy Princess to work---you can never start them too young. Ask Jeremy and Garrett who grew up in the garden center business and knew how to correctly make change on a cash register by the time they were 8 years old (and no, the register was not set up to tell them what change to give!).

John and Sassy relaxing at the pond after a hard day's work
We're packing away our tools and garden gloves for a couple of weeks to do a little relaxing. Starting in mid July anyone who would like to come out for a visit can contact us and arrangements can be made. We'll be around on a more regular basis again in September when we do some of our major planting and divisions. Blog posts will continue and we'll be giving pointers on doing divisions and getting your plants and gardens ready for winter. You can also continue to email us with any gardening questions you think we may be able to answer. Until then, have a great summer and have fun "playing in the dirt".

Happy gardening!
Cheryl

Dig It-Davy Jones

Davy Jones. No, I'm not talking about "The Monkees", but this week's "Dig It" pick.


This Intermediate Bearded is a sure-fire winner in an iris garden; not only does it bloom profusely with rich, deep purple blossoms, but is also a rebloomer. Davy is also one of the first Intermediate to bloom in the spring, soon after, or even along with the Dwarf Bearded varieties. Another plus is the rapid way this favorite of ours multiplies, so give him plenty of room to stretch.

Dig It - Baby Sister Siberian Iris

Tell me, who doesn't like babies? I've made enough references in the past that by now you know I have an affinity for the petite plant varieties. Baby Sister, a dwarf Siberian iris, is my pick for this week. She certainly holds her own against her taller sister and brothers in a garden, has a lovely blue color, and blooms profusely. This sturdy little plant looks good at the garden edge or as part of a rock garden.

Baby Sister with Hubbard in the background at sunset at Pittsgrove Farms

Dwarf Iris-Sarah Taylor

Being "vertically challenged" myself, I have a natural affinity for the petite. My sons will attest to the fact that while watching some of my favorite movies I get most excited at the appearance of the Munchkins, Ewoks, or R2D2. The appearance of our dwarf iris in early spring brings similar excitement.

Sweet Sarah Taylor is this week's feature and rightly so. This pale yellow , blue-bearded little iris mimics its tall-bearded cousins, but pops up in the garden well before them which will extend any iris lover's season. Dwarf iris are easily grown under the same conditions as taller varieties, but due to their height are suited to even more locations. Consider placing them in borders or in rock gardens, naturally in full sun in well-drained soil.

Sarah Taylor and our other dwarf (also known as miniature or lilliput) iris generally are in bloom here in central NJ in mid to late April and usually are done blooming before their taller counterparts make their appearance.


Do yourself and your garden a favor by inviting little Sarah Taylor and her family into your life. They will surely bring you pleasure for many years to come.

Iris Curtain Call

Immortality

As summer finally made its exit and autumn has established itself with some glorious color here in western central Jersey, I have delighted in the return of some of our reblooming irises.

Pink Attraction

Immortality, that most reliable and prolific of our reblooming bearded iris, proved itself to be the head honcho, perking up our landscape wherever it was planted, whether in our stock beds or in the display gardens. In a previous post I had mentioned our new iris, Pagan Dance, (my Australian uncle got such a kick out of that one that he now signs his letters Uncle Graham, The Pagan Dancer!) also continued blooming on the tiny stems of these newly planted gems. It was joined by Pink Attraction which looks like it will also prove to be a strong iris with wonderful attributes.

Halston

Intermediate Davy Jones teamed up with Halston adding to the rich, deep color that so many iris lovers look forward to in their gardens. But the blossoms that warmed my heart the most appeared on tiny Baby Blessed the dwarf that nestled in a bed of autumn leaves next to our driveway. I've always had a fondness for yellow and being of short stature, relate to anything little with spunk, so have great respect for this little plant that stood up to the frosty temperatures of late while everything else was succumbing to the cold that had set into our area.Baby Blessed

These lovely blooms will soon fade as we prepare for the onset of winter, but they have served to whet my anticipation of things to come once spring awakens the earth once more.

Small But Mighty

Topping out at 5'2" tall, for most of my life I've been what some people consider "height challenged." I got a reputation as a "goody-two-shoes" since the seating in school was often shortest to tallest and sitting directly in front of the teacher made it difficult to get away with much. But like the West Highland White Terriers we have owned, I often have not perceived myself as little and once thought my daughter-in-law, Melanie and I were nearly the same height (she is 5'7"!). Our Westie, Lady, once stood her ground on a lonely beach when she was charged by a Black Lab, causing the Lab to turn tail and run in the opposite direction. The heart throb of our current Westie, Sassy is Alex, a German Shepherd that towers over her. Like my dogs, I've never let my size stand in my way and I can hold my own in basketball with my 6'2" tall son, Jeremy. Which brings me to the subject at hand --- Dwarf Bearded Iris.

Baby Blessed Dwarf Iris

Many gardeners may be unfamiliar with dwarf iris since they are generally only available by mail order. These sturdy little plants are the first bearded to bloom in the spring which in our location in New Jersey coincides with the blooming time of tulips. They are available in a wide array of colors, similar to their tall bearded cousins. Their diminutive size make them excellent border or rock garden plants.

Prank Dwarf Iris

As with other bearded iris, shallow planting with good drainage and at least a half day sun are a must. Since they are shallow-rooted, winter heaving may be more of a problem than with their taller relatives, so it is helpful to apply a light mulch after the ground has frozen.

Pele Dwarf Iris

They should also be protected from encroachment from other vigorous perennials in the rock gardens. Although delicate in appearance, these hardy plants hold up well under light frost even in bloom. Varieties such as Pele, Sarah Taylor, and Gimmick may be small, but they can have a big impact in your garden.