it's that time of year...

I love this time of year.  I'm planting & transplanting irises around the 
yard, collecting seedpods, and harvesting the seeds.  I don't know what it 
is about the smell, but I just love the aroma of fresh seeds and 
seedpods.  It's indescribable, so unless you know what I'm talking about, I 
don't know how to make you understand.  :-)  Last year I collected a huge 
bowl full of Iris versicolor seeds (approx 1000 seeds) and they perfumed my 
living room like potpourri.  So far this year I've only collected seeds 
from Iris tectorum and Iris foetidissima.  Happily the "Golden Gobbet" 
seeds really were golden this year!  Last year they looked red just like 
the others.  Go figure.  Once I hit the backyard garden, I should have 
plenty more seeds to collect.

Bill Shear predicted that the Iris cretensis I brought back from Greece 
would be tough enough to handle Zone 6.  So I planted half of them outdoors 
and kept the others in pots that I could bring in during winter.  Well, 5 
winters later the ones outside are still growing like gangbusters, so I 
finally decided to transplant the potted ones outside too.  The outdoor 
ones actually bloomed better than the potted ones.  Some of you may 
remember they bloomed on January 1st this year!  I posted the photos here.

About 4 years ago I purchased Iris odaesanensis and Iris koreana from Joe 
Pye Weed.  I planted them next to the Iris cretensis.  Iris odaesanensis 
has spread like wildfire, while Iris koreana has been sitting there like 
the proverbial bump on a log.  Iris odaesanensis has become a favorite of 
mine with those tiny little tri-colored flowers.  If it went to seed this 
year (which I suspect it did) I was too late to collect any of them.

I should have a good haul for SIGNA's seed exchange.  I am also 
participating in the ASI plant sale this year, and got quite a large dig 
list.  So that's next on my agenda of things to do in the garden today.  I 
love this time of year!

Dennis in Cincinnati



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