Iris from Bulbs as Opposed to Rhizomes

Get your bulb catalogues out and select your planting scheme for a glorious display next spring. Plant some bulbs just to cut for indoor flowers – the bunches will be superior to those you will pay na fortune for in the shops next year and you have the fun of growing your own.

Wild Flag Iris are easy to grow. The flowers are bright yellow, blue or purple. The seed heads show bright red seeds and are quite decorative.

Pleiones are charming orchids grown in pots from a pseudobulb that splits into two or more after flowering which helps to increase your stock. The flowers arrive first on 6-8 inch stems in spring followed by 6 inch long 2 inch wide leaves.

Look out in other gardens for great bulbs to grow for next spring. This Grape Hyacinth called Muscari Azureum is a clear soft blue that is recommended for naturalising. Muscari Valerie Finnis is also blue whilst most of the  other species and varieties flower in shades of purple. Muscari grow well in pots where the foliage can look interesting.

This is labelled as Iris Cyclogossa, but, I believe it is actually Iris Aucheri. – a dwarf form of the Juno Iris. See: Growing Iris Aucheri

Reliable flowering can be expected from summer bulbs and tubers.Early Summer Flowering Alliums flower May-July, I like those that look like a burst of stars Anemone start in April with the woodland varieties then come the blousy De Caen and larger corm types through summer

For the specialist there are a dozen different varieties to investigate and grow. Potentially the basis of a fine collection. See more detail and a list of species here

Bulbs that are stored over winter can be susceptible to rot and fungus. To avoid problems check them regularly and remove and destroy any that are effected.

There are sweeter smelling plants but the seed heads of Iris foetidissima are a striking orange at the end of the season when there is less colour in the garden. Before opening the seed heads swell to a bulbous green head that cracks open to reveal masses of red, orange or yellow berries that the birds seem to leave alone of long periods well into winter.

The bearded iris (Iris germanica), is one of the most popular irises to grow. Bearing sword-like foliage and flamboyant blooms from May to June, it makes a striking addition to hot sunny borders. Each bloom is made up of large outer and inner petals, known as ruffs and falls, respectively. Bearded iris are so called because of the hairs growing along the centre of the falls.

Bearded irises (Iris germanica) are some of the easiest and most beautiful perennials to include in your landscape. The name of this genus comes from Iris, the Greek goddess of the rainbow, because the flowers range in a wide variety of colors.

I came upon Kollibri (below, curing tobacco leaves), and his farming partner, Nikki, thanks to their listing in the online collective called Local Harvest [dot] org. Why, I wondered, was my endless Nicotiana search, already many pages deep into Google results, taking me there?I knew Local Harvest as a great place to find a nearby CSA farm to buy a share of, or to order farm-made cheeses or meats or even wildcrafted salves and soaps and such—but Nicotiana? Turns out that Kollibri and Nikki are former CSA farmers from the Portland, Oregon, area, and so the connection. And I couldn’t resist their online claim, under their internet store called Daggawalla Seeds and Herbs, founded in 2012 [UPDATE: Daggawalla is h