Re: [sibrob] A long story

From: "R. Dennis Hager" <rdhager@dmv.com>

Mary,

Thank you for sharing your heartwarming story. My on garden has many
heirloom plants which have been passed on for several generations, some
of which came through my mother's (also deceased) garden.

If you really want a solid border of Siberian irises, go for it! They
can be mixed with daylilies, but for me the daylilies tend to out grow
the Siberians, so plan and space accordingly. Before long, you will find
that you have too many daylilies too. Oh well. I have also mixed shasta
daisies and goldenrod with Siberians, but you must agressively keep them
in check or the Siberians can be shaded out. In your climate, some small
to mediam sized hostas could work with them also.

If you would like for your Siberian border to be uniform, consisting all
consisting of the same cultivar, you already have more plant stock than
you need. The plus side of doing that is that it is inexpensive and from
a landscaper's point of view, it can be quite pleasing to the eye. On
the downside, a mass planting of just one cultivar will result in a
shorter bloom period. You may want to introduce other cultivars into the
border to extend bloom.

Cedar trees do not poison the soil the way that some trees (specifically
black walnuts) do. Many plants do not do well under cedars because of
lack of light and competition for nutrients and moisture. I would not--I
repeat WOULD NOT--plant anything in the area until the soil is properly
turned and prepared. It is fairly easy to hold Siberians in a pot until
you get the time to prepare the bed. Just keep them watered and mulch
for the winter.

CAUTION:  It is easy for your "holding area" to grow larger than the
rest of the garden. It's an affliction that plagues many gardeners.

I would recommend that you deadhead the Siberian irises and compost the
seedpods. They do not usually come true from seed, but they will
probably be quite similar to the parent. Since they have been there for
quite a while, I doubt that they are an exceptional cultivar. Besides,
it may be 2 years or more to bloom from seed and you already have too
many Siberians.

Good luck.

R. Dennis Hager
on Delmarva Zone 6-7







--------------------------- ONElist Sponsor ----------------------------

Attention ONElist list owners.
http://www.onelist.com
We've just added a "NO ATTACHMENTS" option.  See homepage for details.

------------------------------------------------------------------------
Other Mailing lists | Author Index | Date Index | Subject Index | Thread Index