Sunday, May 11, 2008

Green Thumb Sunday

This is the only new item I've been able to plant so far. This was the variegated iris in my trunk last week. It's called Iris Aureo-variegata or Variegated Sweet Iris. The appeal here was the foliage. The flowers are nice, too. ;-)

I've been knee-deep in working with a couple of major projects, these past two weeks, that have pretty much kept me from working outdoors in the yard. But then, my heavy clay soil has been too wet to dig and amend yet, anyway. It rained a lot last night. Hopefully things will dry out in the next few days before we leave for our son's home. If not, I'll have to sink some pots somewhere for a few days.

I have more rocks to haul, beds to enlarge and a nice pickup load of composted soil to purchase and tote around to the enlarged beds! Of course, just digging holes for these new plants means soil amendment. I must also get to the bottom of my compost pile, sifting the gold for planting holes and returning the platinum to the pile! :-)

I might also mention that it's beginning to get a little shadier around here! (The trees are beginning to grow their leaves... isn't it great?) That means I'd also better get with it and set my Sun Calculator out tomorrow morning!

Enjoy the rest of your Sunday!

SS Gardener (Semi-Shady, at this point)

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8 comments:

Aiyana said...

That is a nice plant The foliage doesn't seem to go with the flower!
Sounds like you have a lot of spring gardening chores ahead of you.
Happy GTS,
Aiyana

Gail said...

shady,

I saw the veriegated Iris in your trunk, I do love them and really don't care if they flower or not...Oh my, early spring chores! It's an exciting kind of pressure!


gail

Iowa Victory Gardener said...

Nice addition to your collection, Shady! Does it get enough light where it is to do well? I don't know your garden well enough yet to know if you have Toad Lilies (Tricyrtis hirta) planted somewhere, but that would be my recommendation for must haves for deep shade positions. You've probably seen them on Don's blog, and they're well worth planting and not much work at all (aside from weeding). And they bloom so late in the summer that they really stand out and usually continue right up to frost ....

Shady Gardener said...

Hi Aiyana, I'm not typically a HUGE fan of iris, but I do have a few... and I do like this one's foliage. :-)

Gail, I was thinking of you when I posted this photo! :-) Those early Spring chores, indeed. I understand completely!

Iowa Victory Gardener, thanks for visiting! I really do have a few toad lilies, and I do like them! I also Very Much enjoy pulmonaria (lungwort)! We've lived here for 5 1/2 years and I'm thrilled to be learning a new "Shade-plant vocabulary." :-)

Mr. McGregor's Daughter said...

I really like that Iris, not only for the fantastic foliage, but the flowers smell wonderful, hence the moniker "sweet."

Shady Gardener said...

Ah... I'd better stop hauling rocks and smell it! ;-) (Had to stop in for a rest.)

Iowa Victory Gardener said...

Hi Shady, good for you w/the toad lilies! Aren't they fantastic late summer surprises? I'm still waiting for my Pulmonaria to bloom (just put it in last year), but our Trilliums have really multiplied since last year (blooming now) and our Jack in the Pulpit just opened today! And the Bleeding Hearts are amazing this year after suffering so much last year ...

Shady Gardener said...

Iowa VG, You'll have to check some of my previous posts to see some of my Pulmonaria. They're 2-4 years old, depending on the plant/variety... and they've been doing a super job of blooming. This is the best year, so far!

I even have three more new varieties to plant this spring! yea! ;-)

You will love yours! Thanks for your visit and your enthusiastic encouragement! :-)