Dig It-Aggressively Forward-Tall Bearded Iris

Aggressively Forward (Innerst-1994) was aptly named as it was the first tall bearded to bloom in our beds this season. With its very large blossoms and tall stature, there was no overlooking this handsome (in my opinion) iris. Its muddied appearance may be off-putting to those of you who prefer solid colors in your flowers, but I have always been attracted to the unusual. Aggressively Forward also has a nice fragrance making it even more distinctive.

On a personal note, May is GBS/CIDP Awareness Month. Say what??? Exactly. A family member has CIDP and believe me, we went insane with worry before he was properly diagnosed as it mimics so many other conditions. My purpose today is to inform our readers as these are 2 of those "orphan diseases" barely known by the public, but can strike people who had been perfectly healthy dumbfounding them and their physicians alike.
And yes, our family member is now doing quite well, thank you!

Happy Gardening!
Cheryl 

Dig It-Barbara Walther-Historic Iris

Barbara Walther

When someone comes to Pittsgrove Farms looking for a white bearded iris, we immediately go to our Old Faithful, Immortality, which is both hardy and prolific. Our customer goes off happy as can be, especially when told that it is a fairly reliable rebloomer. However, every now and then we will get a comment that Immortality is more cream or ivory, not as "white" which is when we go to Barbara Walther.

Immortality

Barbara Walther is pure white with a white beard and named for the the woman who was instrumental in getting the property next to hers in Essex county turned into the parkland on which the Presby Memorial Iris Gardens now stand. Barbara Walther as volunteer curator at Presby was personally responsible for turning it into the world renowned iris gardens that it is today.

Barbara Walther

Barbara Walther, the iris, is tall (37") and sturdy and shines brightly amongst groupings of its colorful relatives.

Dig It-Tall Bearded Skywalker

Skywalker-Schreiner '96

One of our regulars was visiting Pittsgrove recently when she looked out over our bloomed out bearded iris beds and asked "What is that still in bloom?" pointing to a patch of blue in the distance. Surprisingly, a new iris (for us) was still putting out numerous blossoms amongst bed upon bed of flowerless swords. Whether we will see the same abundance next year is yet to be determined (we have learned that Mother Nature has her own quirks about what occurs in the garden beds) but this year the quite handsome "Skywalker" really impressed.

Photo Credit-Schreiner

The love of Star Wars has been passed on to the next generation as our "Vehicle Boy" is following in his dad's footsteps with his embrace of all things "in a galaxy far, far away". As a child, Garrett was upset with me for days after I told him we had thought of Luke as a first name for him before he was born. He bemoaned the fact that he was not named for his idol, but say Luke Gulish and you realize it sounds like something is caught in your throat!

Standing alone in the afternoon mist

Vehicle Boy was thrilled to see his idol standing so tall and fearless in the field. Skywalker (Schreiner '96) is a cross between Honky Tonk Blues and Altruist and has shown just how vigorous a plant it is with its excellent blooming habit. The flowers are nicely ruffled with an interesting blending of color. I promised our grandson that when his family moves into their new house, I will plant a nice Skywalker in their garden to ward off the Storm Troopers. And I think now that Garrett is all grown up he is glad he doesn't have to introduce himself while sounding like he is gagging.

Dig It-Happy New Year!

Happy New Year (Byers 1989)

As I stated in my last post, John and I are like little kids on Christmas morning when a new variety (for us) comes into bloom. This morning's gift was a tall bearded iris named Happy New Year and was certainly cause for celebrating.

Happy New Year (Byers 1989) grows to 2 1/2-3' tall and is a re-bloomer. We know some of you prefer solid tone iris, which are certainly beautiful, but a variety such as this adds excitement to our garden beds. We are waiting for more surprises as more and more iris that we have never grown before come into bloom. I'll keep you posted!

Happy Gardening! Cheryl

Iris---Slowly But Surely

Spring has definitely arrived, but is certainly taking it's time as I sit here writing wearing a long sleeved flannel shirt on May 14th! But the birds have returned, the bird houses are filled with new occupants, and the robins have started a new brood. Our dwarf bearded are in full bloom with our intermediates popping open each day, but the peonies are still in bud and should be opening with some additional sunshine, which may not be too forthcoming.Florentina-1500
Last fall we planted a number of iris that Presby Memorial Iris Gardens gave us to propagate and to serve as a back up in case their beds are vandalized as they were a few years back when a number of their historic iris were ripped from the ground and strewn about the property. A few of those iris have begun opening such as King Christian and Florentia and while they are interesting, they do not have the same impact that the newer varieties exhibit. But, as always, John and I are always excited to see a flower for the first time and each week a new surprise awaits us here at the farm.King Christian-Intermediate 1901
We did find Blue Boy to be an attractive early bloomer and are anxious to see what other surprises are in store.
Blue Boy-Intermediate 1913

Happy Gardening!
Cheryl

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