Wordless Wednesday

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Purple Power

I thinned my irises last year because blooms were getting far and far fewer. I know they need space, and I know a mother that produces a daughter never flowers again. I didn't have any idea what I was doing, but I was hoping I was getting enough space in between the

I had only five or six of my 12 or so colors this year, but I had a lot of flowers. Perhaps next year will have more variety. Although I may thin yet again later this year.

After one particularly heavy rainstorm, some of my top heavy irises were laying flat on the ground. Kids in the neighborhood had fun surprising their moms with my cuttings.

And I had enough left over to fill a vase in my kitchen! I had NO idea irises were fragrant!

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Wordless Wednesday

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Wordless Wednesday

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Wordless Wednesday

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Wordless Wednesday

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Wordless Wednesday

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Time Flies

My Siberian irises didn't bloom well two years ago. Lizard and I dug them up in the fall and separated them a bit, hoping a little extra space might encourage flowering. We dug up all the other irises, too, and spread them out a bit more.

Last year none of my irises were very showy. I guess that's what happens the first year after you move bulbs around. Last year, I thought I'd ruined most of my irises. I've since learned they may be separated after blooming so the bulbs can rebuild until fall.

This year, my irises were magnificent after a whole year of bulb growth! Especially the Siberian irises!!! I had at least two or three a day every single day for about two weeks. I was in heaven!






The Siberica Strawberry Fair Iris is the most beautiful of my collection. I wish these babies could bloom all year!


I thought it might be fun to try another time lapse movie, this time, instead of a sunrise or sunset, I'd shoot one of my cut irises in a vase as the flower opened.

First tries sometimes produce significant fails. I didn't realize my Siberian irises take three days to open! I was shooting the blossom every hour I was awake the entire weekend. The flower bloomed while I was at work on Monday. Darn it!

Music is by Peter Hollens.


By this time, the chicory were blooming. Blossoms last only a day. I thought this might be the perfect experiment. I could correct one of the problems I had with the iris. I didn't realize flowers in a vase move and shift weight as they open. The following weekend, I cut a sprig of chicory and shot frames about every five minutes until the main blossom was fully open. I also adjusted the tripod and flash as necessary to keep the flower in the center of the frame and well lit.

Music is by Klaus Badelt from Pirates of the Caribbean.


Success!!! And with another gorgeous flower!!!

The next weekend, I tried again, this time with Cupid's Darts. I framed the shot so I (hopefully) wouldn't have to move the tripod or the strobe. I set the timer on my iPhone and fired photos with my D300 every minute for two and a half hours. I thumbed through about 18 old quilting magazines as the flower bloomed. Perfect way to stay awake while I photographed!

I do have a shutter release for the Nikon, and I should be able to set the camera up to fire by itself, but I haven't tried using the cable yet, and I'd rather experiment with it after I learn how to use it.

Music is by Lindsey Stirling.


Eureka! Blue Gold! I'm getting the hang of this!

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Iris of My Eye

Harvest Maiden
Going outside in the garden every single morning the last few weeks has been beyond exciting. New irises are blooming almost every day. I ordered the rhizomes four years ago, then had to wait until fall for them to be shipped. Many didn't bloom the next summer, and last year many tried to bloom but were drowned by our rainiest spring on record.

So this year, I'm seeing some for the very first time, and others are making a shimmering return!


Cranberry Swirl


Came with the House
New and old, all these flowers delight. I think I'm addicted!


I bought Stairway to Heaven because of the name, but I absolutely love the colors.
Some of this year's new iris blooms are not the color I thought they'd be, but I like them anyway.


Men in Black aren't truly black, but just try to get me to complain about this gorgeously rich purple!


Baja Blue isn't exactly blue, but it's nice.


Deep blue Miles Ahead looks a little more like its deep purple cousin Clarence, but I'm not disappointed.


Open Sea was supposed to be all blue, but this definitely is not bad.
Some of this year's first-time bloomers aren't the breed they were supposed to be, but I like them anyway. I had to look up what I had because the "wrong" plants are so different than what I ordered.

I haven't decided yet if I will try ordering from the same iris farm again this fall to get the species I initially wanted, but if I can find Starship Enterprise somewhere else, I think there's a very high chance I'll try at least that one again.


Light Up My Life is perhaps prettier than the white, cheddar and fuchsia Starship Enterprise
I intended to showcase in the center of my iris mound, but it definitely isn't what I ordered.


Grand Ole Opry is dazzling, but it was supposed to be a pale purple and peach Florentine Silk.
Three of the iris rhizomes I ordered still have not bloomed, so I don't know what they will look like if and when they do. The dusky blue, plum and white Lights Camera Action I ordered because of the name might still bloom one day, but for now, all I can do is hope.

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