The amazing Mrs. P. T. James Clematis

I've discovered that some garden purchases give you more for your money in your cottage garden.  Take this clematis, Mrs. P. T. James, for example.

It started blooming in June before the peonies, and just kept on going, gradually climbing beyond my reach with its blooms.  Although it changed as the season progressed, it was always there to compliment whatever was in bloom.

It blended with the the peonies, the irises, the delphinium, the roses,

and the obedience plant, and now it looks awsome with the autumn joy sedum.

It's amazing, and I'm impressed.

Clematis and Siberian Iris

I planted a pair of clematises together and the effect is striking.  Since the roses haven't quite started their show yet, and the irises are mostly past their peek, it's nice to have this wow spot in my cottage garden.

Just to the right of them is this Siberian Iris that my daughter found for me.  I have had it for a couple of years and I finally get to see what it looks like.  I love it.  It almost looks like a painting in this shot.

The soapwart is another old faithful. I started the mother plants from seed three gardens ago and kept bringing volunteer seedlings from place to place.  This one actually made a detour to my daughter's garden making this at least the fourth generation of seedlings.

Behind the soapwart is the beauty bush I just planted this year.  The spot is under an awning and gets very little rain.  There was a small orange rose bush there, but I didn't want orange in this garden, so I gave it away and got the draught tolerant beauty bush. 

What I wasn't told was that the center of the beauty bush flowers are orange. I give up!  What good is a cottage garden without a little color variety anyway!

No regrets

I find it amazing that when the time comes to leave my garden that has been my pride and joy for a time, I have no regrets.  I am happy to get on with the next project.

 I do look at certain plants like my pair of clematises and wonder why they give their best display when I am on the point of saying good bye.


But then I look at my wide open land and the beautiful topsoil and I get all excited.

 It's a new beginning, and I love it.

Iris - Bearded, Siberian and Japanese

My Iris are blooming profusely in the garden right now. Their tall, slender stems emerging from wide, fan-like leaves and topped off with gorgeous pops of color. They remind me of popcorn that has suddenly burst open from it's kernel. They variety I have (below) is referred to as a Bearded Iris. Bearded Irises are the most popular type, but the Siberian and Japanese types are gaining in popularity and can be equally as stunning. 

Bearded Iris in my Port Washington, NY garden

So where is the beard? If you look closely on the lower petals which hang downward (these are called "falls," while the upright petals are called "standards") you'll see little fuzzy parts in the center. These are the beards. Bearded Irises are easy to grow, require full sun and will multiply over time. They come in a variety of colors including pink, blue, red, yellow and purple.

The Siberian and Japanese Iris do not have the fuzzy beard and hence, are considered beardless. Most of the beardless irises are native to Asia.

Siberian Irises form beautiful clumps of grass-like foliage (much thinner than the fan-like foliage of the Bearded Iris) with blooms rising on slender stems. The flowers are smaller and more delicate than the bearded type, in shades of blue, purple, red-violet or yellow. Once the flower fades, the foliage remains a beautiful focal point in the garden, often resembling an ornamental grass.

Photo of Siberian Iris
from Delaware Valley Iris Society

Japanese Iris have huge, flat flowers with ruffled petals. Here, the falls are large and the standards are short. Their leaves are sword shaped with a distinct rib that runs lengthwise down the leaves - a good way to distinguish this type from the others when not in flower. Absolutely gorgeous in a mass planting.

Photo from UMASS Amherst Extension

In Greek Mythology, Iris is the Goddess of the Rainbow and because of the elegance of the bloom, it has been the symbol of royal families throughout history. The most famous use of the Iris as a symbol came from France, when it was adapted on royal banners as the "fleur-de-lis"(possibly adapted from Iris Pseudacorus)