Found this on the site where I ordered my irises…
Bearded Iris (a few planting tips)
Plant the Bearded Iris as soon as you receive them.
Make sure that you have loosened the soil very well in the garden where you want to plant these and that it gets lots of sun and plenty of air circulation.

Plant the rhizomes with the roots facing down just below the soil surface, so that when the soil settles, the top of the rhizome can bask in the sun.

Water these newly planted rhizomes well for some time until they are established; after that, be stingy with watering.

Use some 10-10-10 fertilizer right after planting and again in early Spring.

Divide the Bearded Iris every 3-5 years to prevent overcrowding and promote flowering. This is also a great time to exchange some varieties with friends, family and neighbors.

Cut off the flower stalk as soon as all the flowers are bloomed out…there is no need to spend food and energy for seed production.

Enjoy these drought tolerant beauties of the garden from early March though mid May (or later when North of Georgia) by choosing several varieties and types.

Lantana and licorice plant near the impatiens

Side of house with ‘showy’ phlox, dahlias, blue salvias.

My pot of purple and white petunias is hidden by the phlox.

The plant in the foreground is a butterfly bush

Glazing ball near pond.

but my nails are longer!
They are also a little tan. I usually don’t wear nail polish (I had just put this on, can you tell?) I give all credit to that Ms. Manicure buffing block!
I have hands just like my mom.

I was just outside for about 20 minutes and I couldn’t take it. It was like walking around inside an oven. The humidity is way up there, so I think I’ll do a little tidying up since the house always needs it.
Bummed a bit because there were ants on the counter last night and this morning. I spent about 20 minutes cleaning them up. Brian saw them last night and just shrugged his shoulders and went back to the channel surfing. He could have cleaned the dirty dishes out of the sink for me and wiped off the counter, but he didn’t. I was trying to remember the home remedy for ants. I thought salt, but mom says it’s lemon juice. I have one of those plastic lemons and put a line of the juice along the floor near the back door. I think they are coming in there and then going along the back of the wall and up where the sink is.
A great way to clean up your yard of it’s fallen apples-deer and groundhogs. They have been out eating under the apple tree last night and today. Brian and I both tried to take photos. I’ll have to upload them and add one here if it’s decent. I picked one and it was really sour. Guess I could make some apple sauce if we actually picked enough. I won’t eat apples off the ground for health reasons (e. coli issues).
I did just place an order for 10 assorted iris rhizomes from a company in Atlanta called Touch of Nature. They will be shipped after August 15th. Sean was chuckling over the names as I read them to the man: Banana Frappe (deep yellow), Night Owl (darkest of purples) and Stitch Witch (a dwarf iris-I think it’s a two tone blue and white) among others. I have the rhizomes from eBay to plant. I need to rototill the spot up first.
Better go grab a late lunch-not soup today!

I had Sean drop me off at my mom’s and then he went on to his session at Penn State for 4 hours. He’s up to 16 out of the 30. He said the math he was doing today wasn’t hard at all. Maybe he’ll be able to get into a higher math class!
So Mom looks a little beat up considering she has shingles. Her poor tummy and side look like she painted raspberry jam on herself.
I wanted to keep her company and do a few garden related things for her too. She ate the bacon on an English muffin I brought her. I then headed outside to water everything. It doesn’t take as long as it does for me to water my plants, but she doesn’t have certain parts of her garden laid out right-like the paths are too narrow and I was tripping on rocks or slate. I decided to plant the things she had bought at Boscov’s last week. Her perennial a Gaura, like I bought was whithering up. I planted a butterfly bush, portulaca, petunias, a few lilies and some impatiens and ivy in pots. I weeded one of her beds. I was dripping in sweat! The bottom of my hair was wet 3″ up!
Then Mom wanted to go to this produce place to replace some petunias in hanging pots that pooped out. She had them in too shady of a location. I drove her Sable (a lot different than my Windstar!) to ‘The Produce Junction’ and they had impatiens in hanging baskets for $2.99! Mom was going for the leggy ones, but I was suggesting she get fuller ones. That’s just what she needed for the front of her house! They also had very full plants-all kinds and colors 4 for $5.00. So we each got the four pots, though when I was dividing them, I only had 3. I bought some pinwheel zinnias (I believe this is what they are called), another plant with star-like pink flowers and some celosia in reds for Sean’s garden. I bought another miniature rose, so I hope that will do ok.
We got Chinese food (too much fried stuff) and after we ate, Sean and I headed for the Value City near mom so I could check out their reduced stuff. I got a cow grill-I may try and sell this one (it looks just like the pig photographed here), some neat metal birds for near the pond, and a handmade rug with a sunflower design for under the computer chair. I got a few more dirt cheap yard ornaments.
When we got home I jumped in the shower and then started to look through Collectibles, Inc. catalog. They also had some neat garden stuff. I don’t want to overdo it outside. I have a big enough yard, but I try and keep the decorations to cute or whimiscal things. What I liked were the solar power fiber optic lights and any of those solar powered things. I have one near the pond and it looks awesome at night.

My little cart with the succulents
I’m not referring to the Governor of California’s vehicle. I was outside in my backyard and I happened to see a little guy whirl around the sage and then go pop inside every blossom of my pale purple petunia (say that fast 3 times!) hanging basket. It’s the first hummer I have seen this year. Just in time for the trumpet vine that just started to bloom. Hummers love trumpet vines.
I believe I have a yellow, not lime green zinnia opening first. I went out to look at it and a blasted Japanese beetle was on it. They are such pests. Speaking of which, last week I had just gotten all comfy in bed and felt ‘something’ crawl over my face. I jumped up (Brian was in the guest room), turned the light on and saw nothing, so I shook the covers out and then the pillows. A few nights later in the bathroom I found the culprit-a daddy longlegs. It had to be a spider like thingie. He has gone to met his maker thanks to Bri.

A lime green color zinnia about to open. Some white wildflowers are peeking out there. 

Remember my ‘crop circle’ of flowers from not even a month ago? They are starting to open! But look how big they got. I think I’ll do 2-3 of these next year.

This hibiscus is gorgeous! 

Piggie grill which is now is a plant stand. Sorry you can’t see his cute little tail!