Re: purple & pink go so well together!

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Disclaimer:  The following message contains absolute smugness.  :-)


Iris tridentata is truly a summer iris here in Ohio.  It waited until AFTER the summer equinox before it opened up its first flowers.  This is my first time in many years to have it bloom in my garden.  I experimented growing it in pots above ground and it languished.  About 15 months ago I transplanted it into a nutrient poor bog bed and now I have many many many bloom stalks in bud.

Companion plants in my bog include:

Non-carnivorous:
    - Calopogon tuberosus (grasspink orchid)
    - Spiranthes cernua (ladies-tresses' orchid)
    - Pogonia ophioglossoides (rose pogonia orchid)
    - Iris fulva
    - Mimulus ringens (monkeyflower)
(There is also supposed to be Rhexia virginica and Polygala lutea, but I can not distinguish them yet.  They are new to me.  I have to wait until they flower to know whether they survived.)

Carnivorous:
    - Dionaea musiculpa (venus flytrap)
    - Drosera tracyii (threadleaf sundew)
    - Sarracenia flava var. rugellii (tall yellow pitcher plant)
    - Sarracenia x 'Red Rocket' (hybrid pitcher plant)
    - Sarracenia leucophylla (white-top pitcher plant)
    - Sarracenia minor (hooded pitcher plant)

I am soooooo excited that I. tridentata is finally happy.  I am astonished that I. fulva is equally happy in that nutrient deficient bed.  And I'm thrilled that all the companion plants are thriving too.  Venus flytraps overwintered here in Ohio!  Who'd'a thunk it!!!??!  Some of them are now in bloom.  <3

In years past I remember having blooms on Iris tridentata in July.  So anyone not growing this plant is missing a tremendous opportunity to extend your bloom season.  SO GO BUY SOME IRIS TRIDENTATA RIGHT NOW!!!!

P6220006 = Iris tridentata (foreground) and grasspink (background)
P6220004 = Calopogon tuberosus

Dennis in Cincinnati, feeling super smug