Re: CULT: iris left to fend for themselves

From: "Donald Eaves" <donald@eastland.net>


Hello Folks,

About sixteen years ago my grandmother's place sold unexpectedly.
She grew lots and lots of irises, altho I doubt she ever purchased one.
They ranged from older to new forms.  I dug some rhizomes before the
new owners took possession (and dozed them all under, as it happens).
My yard was (and part still is) in the pasture stage, so nothing was
prepared for planting.  I took three rhizomes and planted them on the
edge of the hill just as it drops steeply to help hold a wash in place.
They were put on the back sides of some big rocks laid across the
wash.  And there they still are, perched on the edge of the wild.  The
only care they've received is occasionally pulling the leaves and other
debris out.  I plan to do this every year, but have missed some.  Today
was one of those days.  They have never been divided, so now they
form a clump about four feet in diameter.  Since they have the habit of
growing backward as well as forward, the entire growing medium of the
central clump consists of layers of old rhizomes.  I threw some sand
left over from a new stone walk over them today.  They bloom prolifically
each spring.  I don't know the name of the cultivar, but for reference they
look like ANTIGONE from the HIPS website, so they are an older variety.
In my expansionist yard, next year I will be mowing around the clump,
so it's likely they will begin to get more care.  I hope that does not
interfere with their bloom.  It can't improve from the performance I get
each spring.  I do not practice the above cultivation method as a general
rule, and do not recommend it. But it is interesting to me that these have
done so well with the conditions they got stuck with.  I have more of the
same ones elsewhere which got better care and attention, but they have
not outperformed the abandoned clump.

Donald Eaves
donald@eastland.net
Texas Zone 7.

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