Heartache in OZ

Earlier this month I was filled with a mixture of emotions---excitement over having our Washington family visit for a week along with fearful concern for our Australian family. Wild fires were raging in Victoria, the state where the "Pagan Dancer" and most of my family reside. As I watched US news reports and combed the Internet for more up to date reports, I prayed the winds would not shift and the brave firefighters would be able to put out the fires before they got anywhere near my uncles, aunts, and cousins. The fires were so furious and numerous, that my concern grew with each passing day. I searched maps looking to see how close the fires were to the various towns where they lived,wanting everyone to remain out of harm's way.

Fires in background

I received a photo from "Pagan Dancer" of fires burning in near Doncaster a mile from my Uncle Laurie's house in Nunawading and thankfully that was as far as they got. In 2005 Uncle Laurie had taken John & me to Healesville Wildlife Sanctuary where his daughter and her husband worked and the flames threatened nearby but thankfully spared them. The sanctuary is presently treating the animals who escaped, but are in need of care.

Kangaroos at Healesville Wildlife Sanctuary

While taking part in the Great Backyard Bird Count with my grandson and granddaughter, I was also praying for the citizens of Marysville whose town was totally destroyed by fire. The town was located in the Dandenong's that John and I visited and where wild rosellas, cockatoos and gallahs literally ate from our hands in Sherbrooke Forest. Who would want to destroy such beauty? It's inconceivable, but some of the fires had been deliberately set and now the death toll is over 200 and expected to rise as additional bodies are discovered.

Sherbrooke Forest

Feeding cockatoos and rosellas

Another cousin sent word that a magical spot of whimsical beauty Bruno's Art and Sculpture Garden was totally wiped out. Take time to be awed by what had amazed generations of visitors by clicking on the following link. While looking at these stunning photos, please say a short prayer for the brave citizens of Victoria who have suffered so much.

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.

Iris Education

It's too cold to work in the garden for long, the ground is frozen and the plants are dormant. The end of January is when we start to get a little stir crazy we've had a nice break, are recharged and ready to get back outside. We were spoiled with a mild December and able to work outside, but winter has reasserted itself this January.

We use this time to continue our education about plants and would like to learn more about the different types of Iris.

It Could Be Worse

After a splendid meal under the stars cooked by Jeremy, he convinced me that since this is supposed to be a "family" blog someone other than he should contribute to the writing. So here it goes!

In his previous post Jeremy told of how you don't mess with Mother Nature and our pictures proved how nasty she can sometimes be. Although I lamented the damage done to our vegetable plants and our iris divisions, nothing was harmed that couldn't be remedied. The folks at the Rutgers Snyder Research Farm a mile from here had to cancel their 17th Annual Tomato Tasting set for today after losing about 80% of their crop in the storm. All of you know that Jersey tomatoes reign supreme especially over the hard, mealy poor excuses you get at your local supermarket (vine ripe my eye!). The over 1,000 expected visitors, including yours truly, were sorely disappointed as we all salivated at the thought of tasting over 80 varieties of Jersey's finest.

Just as the Snyder Farm seeks to introduce the public to the unusual in a standard product, we are trying to do the same with our iris, peonies, and day lilies---growing common plants in unusual varieties and rainbow of colors.

We're in the process of planting peonies for the spring in standard and dwarf varieties that won't be found elsewhere except by mail order. The day lilies are already taken care of until spring and after the rest of our iris and peonies are planted within the next few weeks, we can sit back and continue to enjoy our "retirement". That is until Jeremy or Garrett give their parents another assignment!