Zen and the Art of Garden Maintenance

Repeat after me: I enjoy my gardens in all their glory, faded or otherwise. Though I cannot help add that I love them most when they are tidied. What I really love is being outside and nurturing each of our garden denizens as best as I can. 

Several irises have gone by, including my dearest "Among Friends," and we all know what that means in terms of maintenance...but how I love their lush leaves. 

Haircuts are in order for several specimen trees too. Specifically the center tree in the grouping by our front door, which is a Weeping Larch, nick-named "Cousin It" from his likeness to the character on the Addams' Family show. Believe it or not, "It's" S-shaped trunk is a knockout when it isn't hidden beneath all those branches. More maintenance.

Welcome to our home!

View looking out our front door

Here's another fellow in need of a trim: our Weeping Cyprus. His nick-name is "Curly," not just because of his curly trunk either. No: beware or he'll poke your eyes out, just like his namesake of Three Stooges fame. 

Weeping Cyprus threatens intruders

Well, that's enough about maintenance. Time to put my money where my mouth is!

What do you love most about the outdoors?

Iris season is upon us!

Good morning, everyone. 

Fortunately, rain soaked our yards and gardens for the past two days. And that means our irises are blooming like crazy! Their cascade of colors from May through June delight my senses. This year their color is especially welcome because we were forced to say.... 

...Farewell Redbud!

Sadly, this favorite tree of our bird visitors didn't survive Old Man Winter. The deer also responded to the harsh conditions by nibbling several of my husband’s miniature specimen evergreens to the nubs. Our pink azalea didn’t escape their notice either: it barely blossomed, but seems to be thriving all the same. As you can see from last year’s photo, their combined pinks lit up the green slope behind them. 

Redbud and Azalea, spring 2013

Hello Irises!

Irises are perfect for Ikebana arrangements because they love to be in water. Our “Cat’s Eyes,” which are SDB (standard dwarf bearded) irises, just finished blooming. This year's blooms were prolific but fleeting, so I missed my chance for a group photo. Luckily “Among Friends,” which are MTB (miniature tall bearded) irises, are in full glory. Here are a few pictures.

“Cat’s Eyes”

 "Among Friends"

"Among Friends," en masse

Some of the Siberians have awakened and we love their graceful stature. I'll keep you posted on the march of irises through June. Although they require a lot of work, gardens reward one’s patience. And gardens offer a tranquil place to enjoy a cup of tea!

Tomorrow is mulch day. Too bad the masseuse will be closed when we finish! 

What kind of irises do you grow? Wouldn't it be fun to swap some this summer?