Would you share more specifically the location of the iris farm. What kinds do they have? I appreciate field grown plants.

It has been a lovely and productive week here. Our gardens are maturing but I did get a few new salvias, Mexican bush sage, and a variety of lavenders. We have been removing the old cedar chips from our paths, using the old chips as mulch in the gardens and replacing it with fresh chips. I love the fragrance of the cedar. Also fixing a few containers for the door yard with heliotrope and petunias. The rugosa and bourbon roses have been beautiful. Plants in bloom: blue bedder salvia, gypsophilia, pink primrose, larkspur, Indian blanket, chamomile, nirembergia, love-in-a-mist. Peonies declining. Bearded iris declining. Siberian iris in full bloom. EP

The directions are: 8 miles north from Springfield on Highway 13. It is at a trailor, has a sign and is on the left hand side of the highway (you are on the north going 13; it is divided). Don't be put off by the weedy fields. I met a lady there that told me once she got hers home and in good, weed-free soil they doubled in size! She was back on her second trip and bought several more. Most are named, but now and again the label in the weeds is lost and you just buy because you love the plant and the name bedarned!

If you get that close to me (about 3 or 4 miles), please come see me. I even have several heirloom irises I would be glad to share! If you do come up, email me for directions, would love to meet you.

GD

Thanks. We don't travel very frequently but nice to know what is along the way in event we make a trip to Columbia or Chillicothe. We have plenty of bearded iris but I would like to find some spuria. EP

Hello for Tuesday, May 17----

A little free time this morning before we go to a memorial service for a high school friend.

The old apple tree in the middle of a shade bed blew down this winter and the other half early spring. I have been redoing the bed--moving hosta, some coral bells, bleeding heart, pulmonaria, etc and replacing with daylilies from other beds.

Seems the winter weeds were worse this year--henbit, chickweed especially. Some of the daylily foliage looks rough after the few frosts and hosta Seafire foliage needs to be trimmed some from frost damage.

Blooming or finishing up: lilac; bearded iris; siberian iris; violas; pansies; salvia May Night and Snow Hill; Geum; clematis Gillian Blades, Ville de Lyon, Henyri, Rouge Cardinal with a few more to go; nepeta Walker's Low; daylilies Stella de Oro and species dumortierii with over 300 more to go; orange poppies; peonies; weigelas; hardy geraniums; dianthus and carnations; coral bells; astible; columbines and some other things getting ready.

Got a much needed 2 inch rain the other night which will help things along.

Susy

hi from down towards the ark line-- my day starts early, dont they all?
first thing on agenda, is start breakfast for the 2 house dogs, how did they ever get so spoiled as to want a warm breakfast, but thats ok, dont think they had too good a life before they came here. now, while its cooking, change papers, water and feed on baby chicks that are temp. in my dining room. only people on a farm will understand this. lost a top-knotted baby, and a feather-legged one last night, everyone else is eating good.
now, i've fed the "house" animals, except hubby, suprising they always want to eat too, huh?
now, for my time, a few min. on the computer before i go do outside chores.horses seem to think they need out in the pasture too.
gardens all in, some keeps disappearing, but i have enough, load of hardwood mulch sitting there, waiting to be unloaded-and todays grocery day--iris, peonys, poppies, mock-orange everything smells so good. sometimes i think we dont spend enough time enjoying what we have, too much time working to keep it "just right". and, tomorrow, it starts all over again---

ceresone, your post reminds me of my mom. She kept baby chicks in a card board box in the kitchen and lived in her garden. She also had all of the flowers you mentioned. She was an 'Arkansas girl' but we lived in California when I was growing up. It is interesting to be living here now and become familiar with the Ozarks plants. We love going to the farm stores and seeing the bins of baby chicks, ducks, guineas, and so forth. Our gardens are pretty undisciplined with all the volunteers coming up and perennials spreading. EP

No, we didn't have peonies in California. It's nice to be able to have them here tho. EP

{{gwi:1112834}}

Another day spent planting. I am getting closer to finishing but still have some annuals to go. I have several clematis but I pot them up in gallon pots and let grow there for a year before "loosing" them in a permanent postition. I tend to forget where I put very small ones.

I think one more day will catch me up. I still have to complete the vegetable garden.

Ceresone, I want chickens so badly, but don't have a place ready for them yet and am making myself hold off. I am an early riser also, but don't have the feeding chores you do. That is my time at the computer and with the coffee pot.

We actually sat down yesterday morning in the warm sun for a cup of coffee and enjoyed the fruits of our (really my) labor! You are absolutely right, once in a while we need to just enjoy the yard and gardens and leave the work for a bit. I plan to do that once I get finished..........

GD

I decided to tackle a job that I had been putting off because I knew it would be tough on my back. Had an appointment with the Chiropractor this afternoon, so what better time to make it mad at me...right? LOL I had two half barrels that had just quite producing...hostas actually dwendled away to nothing...nearly died out. Not normal for hosta to act that way, so I was pretty sure that elm roots were the culprit. I was right...what a wrestling match to get enough of the potting soil out from around all those roots, so I could get under there to see. Had to pry the pots up and reach under to cut the roots loose. It's done and my back is back in alignment until the next time. This time the barrels are up on blocks so I won't have that problem again.

My current project is a whiskey barrel water fountain thingy with an old sistern pump (pitcher pump) on top. I have nearly all the parts assembled. Still need to talk DH into cutting and drilling the shelf board for the pump. Trying to decide what I want in it...anyone have any ideas for small aquatic plants for that size "pond"? May be too shady for many of the plants. This may have to grow over time.

my goodness, how much we all seem alike, lol. bent over the chickens when setting them up monday--and my back went out!!! trying to tough it out, as dr. dont always get it right.
had the strangest thing happen this week while mowing(thats when i get to admire the flowers most). my clematis has been in same spot 10 years, a very large purple star, this week, when i looked, another was blooming, a very double white. guess it had a odd root when i planted it, and just now surfaced, either that, or the flower fairy came by.
think i've lost all the baby chicks i'm going to, seemed a lot to me, 7 out of 80. might as well go "whole hog" and order the bantams i want, hadnt i?
and, late afternoon is our time to sit on the deck, when the shade gets there, with our iced tea, and enjoy our labors. hubby has brain cancer, and dosent push farm chores now.
well, chore time awaits--

Well, I am almost finished. Today planted a row of various peppers, plowed the garden (again) and planted more bedding plants and a few perennials. I had to come in around 1 pm because of the heat! I can't take the sun like I used to. The garden was very dry when I plowed; we sure could use that rain they keep talking about.

Ceresone, sorry about your husband's health problem. Mine had a heart attack last October, so I don't push him on farm chores. He still seems to tire pretty easily, but otherwise, is doing well.

We are taking a short trip to St.Louis tomorrow, coming back on Saturday. Two of the grandkids are having a piano recital. This is our first trip to our son's new house and he has been in it 4 years....you don't go anywhere when you dairy and have no help. We are looking forward to it.

Hopefully, I can totally finish planting next week and then just settle into routine maintenance and watering. That will seem pretty easy. Planting is my least favorite part of gardening.

My 'Batik' iris bloomed its first bloom......I have never had a broken color before. It is kind of neat.

GD

gldno, my sis has "batik" and the "mate" to it, "baboon bottom" they are soo pretty together.we ordered too many from california 3 years ago, last year and this they have really outdid themselves.