surprise gift from Barb

Arrived home after a spell away to discover a milk crate of irises, which had to be from Barb next door. On a tour of her garden last month - an overflowing, colour-filled vision of cottagey plants cheek by jowl with native shrubs - she'd asked if I'd like any of the white bearded iris she felt needed dividing, and who am I to look a gift horse etc etc ...

Of course, having never really handled bearded iris this presented a bit of a challenge, but I figure they're pretty hardy - the disconsolately poked in rhizomes I'd picked up from Glenys at dancing last year and promptly forgotten about for months have resolutely taken this year, even if without flowering yet, and clumps of naturalised ones show themselves round the hills nearby in spring, relics of early cottages or encampments long gone, so obviously they love the conditions here.

Have decided to plant these out in the orchard between fruit trees, in the hope that they die back before fruit trees are fighting to extend their growing season in late spring, and they may even serve as a little brake on the capeweed.

So here's the job underway:

Step 1: cleaning and separating the clumps

 

Step 2: trimming rhizomes and leaves

Step 3: planting out, careful to keep rhizome at surface while securing roots