Irises Rule: Garden Bloggers Bloom Day June 2013

– Posted in: What's up/blooming
15 comments

June has been rainy and on the cool side this year. I think that has contributed to a paucity of blooms. Or, it could be that the gardens at the new house are just a bit behind the gardens at our former house. Or maybe both. By mid-June, I am accustomed to seeing peonies, poppies, and irises–what I like to call the three grandes dames of June–in full bloom. Instead, only the irises are blooming, and they are just getting started.

bearded iris

This iris was planted by the previous owner, so I don’t know its name, but it sure is pretty.

Berlin Tiger iris

‘Berlin Tiger’ is a hybrid where one of the parents is I. pseudacorus.

Occasional contributor Craig Levy gave me ‘Berlin Tiger.’ Apparently it has a complicated parentage.
Siberian Iris Jaybird

‘Jaybird’ Siberian iris is true blue. I don’t understand why it’s not more widely available.

I confess to feeling a bit disgruntled. At first I thought it was just a case of young-garden-itis. After all, almost everything was planted just last year, and there’s still a lot more bare dirt than I care to see. But looking over other GBBD posts for June (such as the one I linked to above), a lot of plants that usually are blooming by now are merely on the verge of blooming. But here’s a few more:
Pinks and phlox in a garden

Pinks, a bit of lupine, and Phlox pilosa form a vignette in the slope garden.

I got the Phlox pilosa from Gail of Clay and Limestone, who calls it Practically Perfect Pink Phlox.
native rose

This native rose is virtually thornless. I am not sure which one it is.

The native rose above grows in both the old garden and the new one. It has red stems and almost no thorns (prickles). I suspect it is Rosa palustris.

Other blooms

For the record, here’s what else is blooming:
Rhododendrons–a white and a pink by the house, two pink in the Slope Garden
Siberian irises–a lighter blue, the heirloom one, and a taller, deeper purple that I brought over
Coral bells–just getting started, here and there
Red weigela
Garden heliotrope (Valerian)
Deep blue columbine
Crimson corn poppies
Bleeding heart
Geranium ‘Tiny Monster’
Clematis a deep purple and a lighter one
Cynanchum ascyrifolium

That’s a pretty paltry list for June!

Inspired by the words of Elizabeth Lawrence, “We can have flowers nearly every month of the year,” Carol of May Dreams Gardens started Garden Bloggers Bloom Day. On the 15th of every month, garden bloggers from all over the world publish what is currently blooming in their gardens, and leave a link in Mr. Linky and the comments of May Dreams Gardens.

About the Author

Kathy Purdy is a colchicum evangelist, converting unsuspecting gardeners into colchicophiles. She gardens in rural upstate NY, which used to be USDA Hardiness Zone 4 but is now Zone 5. Kathy’s been writing since 4th grade, gardening since high school, and blogging since 2002. Find her on Instagram as kopurdy.

When dealing with frost it is always best to be paranoid. In the spring never think it is too late for one more frost to come. And in the fall never think it too early.

~Rundy in Frost

Comments on this entry are closed.

Jenny June 25, 2013, 9:41 pm

I have only run-of-the-mill iris so it is wonderful to see your exotic blooms. Berlin Tiger is amazing.

Edwin Thompson June 25, 2013, 7:43 pm

I love irises it is because of the fact that like many flowers, iris flowers can carry different meanings. Purple iris represents wisdom, white iris evokes purity, blue iris represents faith, and yellow iris means passion.

Sophia June 23, 2013, 9:23 pm

I love the Berlin Tiger. So rare and lovely..

Aaron June 23, 2013, 3:56 am

So only one dame is smiling at you this June, but she is damn pretty. The various colors of Iris are beautiful and enchanting. I can not wait to plant them at the earliest, as till now I had not succumbed to the charms of this amazingly beautiful flower.

Joanne Toft June 22, 2013, 8:37 pm

Looking at the iris – I now want to see if I can start some in my garden. I had them at the old house years ago but they did not move well for some reason. I let them go. I really miss them. I am now retired so may see what I get started for next year. I am in Minnesota and the peonies are blooming and the coral bells. Roses are just getting going. We are several weeks behind with lots of rain and cool weather.

Allison June 22, 2013, 7:50 pm

I absolutely love iris’s and I need to plant some more! I have some beautiful yellow ones right now that are doing really good, would love to have some of your blue ones too!

Deborah B June 20, 2013, 10:19 am

We’re getting lush blooms this year from all the rain. The apple and crabapples were amazing a few weeks ago, and now the peonies, irises and roses are loaded. I’m normally not a fan of ninebarks in bloom, liking the red seed heads so much more, but this year even they look great, covered densely with big white pom-poms of bloom. Of all the years not to stake my peonies! The upside is that I’m more willing to cut lots of peony blooms for the house and neighbors, before they hit the dirt. And this year I’m finally the proud owner of a frog (the flower arranging kind). It makes such a huge difference in a vase of peonies!

Diane C June 19, 2013, 8:29 pm

Irises are the one thing I miss that I had at the old house. I had lovely yellow ones. Perhaps I’ll get lucky and someone will advertise on the local freecycle.com that they have a few to spare!

Kat Bradshore June 19, 2013, 8:38 am

Hi Kathy,

I love your photos! Anyway, I like the combination of pink Rhododendrons and blue Siberian Irises. It’s the color of my wedding motif. That’s why I have those pretty flowers in my garden. 😉

Jason June 19, 2013, 12:32 am

I love that ‘Berlin Tiger’. I have two native roses – R. setigera and R. carolina. R. setigera I like, R. carolina is thisclose to being pulled out of its bed.

Dee Nash (@reddirtramblin) June 18, 2013, 7:26 am

Even though things are a bit behind, they will soon catch up. I’m so glad you got the new house Kathy. I know you love it. Hang in there. The garden is young.~~Dee

Kathy Purdy June 18, 2013, 1:21 pm

You are right on both counts, Dee. Things will catch up, and I do love my house. It was reassuring to find out things were behind at other gardens around the country as well. I just got impatient.

Gail June 18, 2013, 5:30 am

I love the vignette with PPPP and am happy it bloomed for you. It will travel a bit and you will have an even larger patch next year. The native rose is a beauty and practically thornless makes it even more attractive. Thank you for the linkage and happy GBBD! xogail

Les June 18, 2013, 5:14 am

Complicated parentage – that describes several of my son’s friends.

Happy GBBD!

Jean at Jean's Garden June 17, 2013, 9:50 pm

Kathy, Irises rule in my garden this bloom day, too — although mine are all Siberians and they seem to be blooming more lushly than in most years. Even though there is less blooming than is usual in mid-June, think of what we have to look forward to in the next couple of weeks!!