OT-PLANTS
- To: Multiple recipients of list <i*@rt66.com>
- Subject: OT-PLANTS
- From: e* h* <e*@midwest.net>
- Date: Mon, 2 Mar 1998 22:26:35 -0700 (MST)
How about that! I even used a subject tag. Thanks for the reminder, Chris.
Does make for a more orderly discussion. We've been following the
discussion of companion plants for irises. We use what we call companion
plants in nearby beds to augment the iris bloomtime. But we never plant
other plants among the irises.
Don't you think a well groomed patch of irises are interesting and attractive
whether they're in bloom or not. You can use blooming annuals & perennials
in a nearby bed to provide a nice color contrast. We have a great many
poppies..the somniverum in both pink and lovely bright red contrast nicely
with the blues and purples of irises, but washout the pinks & oranges. We
use columbine to compliment those irises. The poppies reseed readily once
you get
them started, as do the larkspur. As someone mentioned these are
controllable
if you pull up the plants after the initial bloom. It's tempting to leave
them because they have another flush of bloom about daylily time. We fill
in a lot with annuals...they come in every color and perform long into fall
when most perennials have gone dorment. Another thing we like is clematis
which comes in 3 bloom times, early, midseason & late. A little limited in
color choices but really nice when you are missing those purple irises that
bloomed a few weeks back. These are never planted where they'll shade the
irises. They need something to climb on and maybe 3 or 4 petunias planted
at the base to shade the roots. Ours do best in full sun. I don't know how
well they do in other
areas. Of course, daylilies are a staple in our garden. Ernie plants "Stella"
in every nook & cranny.
>From Ann & Ernie Henson in IL where we don't "smoke the poppies" but might
be willing to share some seed if someone twisted our arm.
