Dividing and replanting irises

Have you ever stared at a word and just thought ‘that looks odd’? I was typing Garden Maintenance just now and marvelled at the surfeit of words in maintenance. Have I ever noticed before? Blithely blundering along in the English language. And naturally with my French head there came thoughts of do we say Pied-tenance? Or Bras-tenance…?

Sorry, the coffee hasn’t quite kicked in.

Here is the post.

Irises. Lift and divide. I know it is a task that is meant to be done after flowering in summer. Close to the time you actually recall what colour of amazing plant just bloomed.

That gives them a whole growing season to settle and produce enough oomph for the flowering the next year.

But I never seem to remember. Or am just too darn busy when the vegetable and fruit season clashes with the flower production. So winter it is.

And I merrily lift hundreds as a lot were planted in areas which are now shaded out from my ever evolving and growing permanent shrubs. The walnut path used to be a shimmering sea of colour from these plants.. but now the viburnum and other perennials steal their sun.

I do find they grow like a seething sea of crustaceans all trying to escape some primordial soup.

Ot is that just me? Something a bit prawn-like in their structure?

Never mind. Nothing beats the joy of getting your good big garden fork under a clump and grubbing up a huge tangle. And knowing you have an instant ten extra plants.

I’ve enough now to add more to the first thick row on the top of my oak bank.

I chose to ignore the crowded first row as I was in a rush. I may pretend that will be on my list for summer. And boy do I need to chip sticks to make a good mulch cover for all that dirt…

And then I remembered the garish yellow clump that always suffers under the plum tree near the potting shed.

Surely they could be liberated to put on a show up here too. They are so tall they may even flower above the height of the eragrostis grasses in front.

Oh dear; I have just noticed that the yellows are crammed in with a few blue irises as well. That’s the thrilling lottery of lifting irises when you have a mixed bunch. Who knows what will come up and delight / disappoint?

But aren’t you pleased I didn’t just leave you with relentless shots of winter brown?

Okay, just one more.

Yep, you can barely see the planted row here. Trust me; there are about 50 irises here. I just didn’t have time to cut back those grasses yet.

Yes, yes we have been hearing that for a week now.

But pressing matters my dears…

Madame is heading off for her holidays!