Adding Iris Flowers To Your Garden

Iris is the only flower named after a Greek goddess. Iris was said to have ridden rainbows and was portrayed in many magical colors. Although there are over 300 species of Iris, the most common Iris flower is the tall bearded Iris, and it can reach about 2 to 3 feet in height.

Having Iris flowers in your garden is a beautiful way of improving the aesthetics of your garden, especially in early March when the flowers unfold their pencil-slim buds to reveal their multi-colors. Some varieties of Iris flowers bloom from March to June, and some rebloom in late fall and summer.

Tips For Adding Iris To Your Garden

Plant The Flowers in a sunny spot: Iris flowers must be planted in well-drained soil and require at least 6 hours of daily sunlight. The rhizomes of the flowers are kept dry when the Iris gets a full day of sun (the fleshy rootlike structures at the plants’ base are the rhizomes). The Iris roots need to be well-established before the planting season ends. 

Prepare the plant beds: The next thing to do is prepare the plant beds using a low-nitrogen fertilizer. Ensure you apply the fertilizer twice a year. Make the plant beds in a slope or raised bed; this helps ensure the plants get good drainage. If the soil you have is heavy, you can add humus or coarse sand to improve the drainage. 

Allow the plants to breathe: Iris plants require good air circulation to grow well, so you should plant them at a minimum distance of 12 to 24 inches apart. If it is the dwarf Irises, you can reduce the space between them, but for taller Irises, increase the space. Planting the flowers closely will cause them to be thinned; they will not be healthy.

Water the plants: Newly planted Iris plants require moisture for their root system to become established. However, your mode of watering the plants is dependent on your soil type and climate. You should remember that it is better to water deeply at long intervals than shallow waterings at regular intervals. Iris does not need to be watered frequently, except in arid areas.

How To Divide Iris

The best time to divide iris is in late summer when the weather becomes cool. The process of dividing Iris is similar to that of other plants that produce rhizomes. First, dig up the clumps with a spade or garden fork, be careful not to chop into the rhizomes. After digging up the clumps, pull the rhizomes apart with your hands to divide them. You may need to use a sharp knife in some cases.

The next thing to do is to wash off the soil from the rhizomes and check each one for Iris borers. If you find a borer in any, destroy the rhizomes to keep them from spreading. Next, cut off the leaf blades so they are between 4 to 6 inches long, and replant each division in the plant bed. Space the plants 12 to 18 inches apart and water them well.

Best Iris Flower Varieties

Some of the best Iris flower varieties you can add to your garden are Bumblebee Deelite Dwarf Iris, Perfect Pitch Iris, Rebecca Perret Iris, Ozark Dream Dwarf Iris, Gallant Moment Iris, and Latin Hideaway Iris.

Conclusion

If you have always assumed that the bearded Iris was only purple or blue, you have been wrong all this while. The bearded Iris come in a variety of colors, and they will beautify your garden.

Putting Daylilies Around Your New Pool

Nothing beats the sight of a beautiful and nice pool in your compound on a hot summer day. Having a pool is slowly becoming a necessity rather than a luxury, especially if you reside in the south. However, it is one thing to own a pool, and it is another thing to maintain it. One of the best ways to beautify a pool is by landscaping it.

Planting flowers around your new pool is a good idea; however, every flower you want to plant must have these features: it should be colorful, it should add texture to your pool, and it should create privacy. Daylilies are one of the most used flowers because they are colorful and provide color.

How To Plant Daylilies Around Your New Pool

Daylilies are best planted in full sun, on moist and well-drained soil. If you reside in any state with a hot climate, you should ensure the lilies get shade in the afternoon to help them preserve their color. Daylilies are one of the few flowers that require little attention, especially when they are planted in the best location. As long as you supply the annual compost to the soil, daylilies do not require any other fertilization.

The best time to plant daylilies is immediately you purchase them; if you are in the south, plant them in fall or spring, the temperatures are always cool at that season. Plant daylilies in spring if you reside in the north, so the plants can grow and mature fully before winter. The first thing to do is to add compost to the soil around your pool.

Ensure you space the plants about 12 to 18 inches apart, so the crown of the flower is an inch below the soil surface. Water the plant well and mulch with straw or bark to preserve all the moisture and prevent weeds from growing. During the first year of planting the lilies, they should be watered well and kept free of weeds.

Dos And Don’ts In Poolside Landscape

There are some things you must do when planting flowers around your new pool, and there are things you should avoid. Let us see some of these, so you will not end up running your poolside landscape.

  1. Choose plants that can withstand reflective glare and heat from concrete.
  2. Avoid plants that drop nuts, fruits, or leaves near the pool.
  3. Use fertile and well-draining soils to plant near the pool.
  4. Fertilize the plants carefully; spilling fertilizer can stain the pool plaster.

Best And Worst Plants For Poolside Landscape

Many people are unaware that some plants are good for pools, and others will completely ruin your pool landscape. These are some of the best plants for poolside landscaping: Queen Palm, Southern Live Oak, Mexican Blue Palm, Weeping Dalea, Golden Euonymus, Red Justica, Birds of Paradise, Fortnight Lily, and Daylily. It would be best to avoid these plants: Ash trees, Mesquite, Crape Myrtle, Evergreen elm, Azalea, and Acacia.

Conclusion

A colorful landscape is a good way to brighten your compound, especially if you own a pool. Pool plans do not only enhance aesthetics, but they also soften heat blow.

What Type of Concrete To Get For Your New Garden

If you are familiar with gardening, you will know that concrete can be used for gardens. Unlike the assumption that using concrete for your garden is expensive, it is not. You can purchase ready-to-use concrete, or you can create yours. Concrete is not harmful to plants as many people assume, so they are scared of using it in their gardens.

Many people mistake concrete for cement, hence the increased fear of using concrete in their gardens. Concrete is very different from cement, although the latter is one of the materials used to create the former. Unknown to many new gardeners, concrete is one of the most popular materials for garden edging. It is strong and resistant to weather changes.

Best Concrete For New Gardens

There are different concrete mix formulas for various purposes. If you do not know the perfect mix formula for gardening, you might end up using a formula for a sidewalk or patio in your garden. Here are the best concrete mix formulas for a new garden.

Quikrete Fast-Setting Mix: This concrete mix is perfect for setting posts. In your garden, you will have a lamppost, fence posts, basketball hoop, or swing set. This concrete mix increases the strength, durability, stability, and safety of these structures. You do not have to mix it; pour the dry mix into the hole, soak with water, and leave to dry.

Quikrete Crack-Resistant Mix: This concrete mix is used to frame flower beds, lawns, or trees. Every garden has lawn borders that define and display the most attractive outdoor features. Rather than hiring a landscaper to install lawn borders in your garden, you can install them yourself. With the Quikrete Crack-Resistant Mix, you will have a beautiful and resilient lawn border. 

Garden Hacks With Concrete

Concrete Planters: Rather than purchasing plastic plant pots, you can create concrete garden planters. You can make them tall enough to beautify your porch and pretty enough to show your plants. The amazing thing is that you can make the planters in any shape and size you desire with the right tools and materials.

Concrete Tables: Who would not love to have an outdoor table in their garden? Instead of spending a ton of cash to purchase an outdoor table, you can create one for a little less than $50. This is a great hack for families with children; there are no glass tops, so no fear of it getting damaged.

Planters & Raised Beds: One of the best things to do is combine the natural green look of plants with the urban nature of concrete. This combination results in a striking contrast that adds a stylish and impressive touch to your garden. You can easily make raised beds and planters from concrete with the design and layout of your choice.

Concrete And Garden Safety

Concrete is not toxic; it is not toxic to the environment, neither is it toxic to plants. The only problem with concrete in the garden is the level of alkalinity. Most plants will struggle to survive in soil with high alkalinity and need more acidic soil. To avoid this, it is safe to purchase concrete planters from stores; they have been leached and sealed.

Conclusion

You can use concrete for a lot of purposes in your garden. It is very useful and brings out the beauty and practicality of any garden when used the right way.