I spent nearly five hours out back yesterday taking down trees and clearing brush around my stand of bamboo, so I’m happy I’ll be doing nothing more strenuous today than pontificating on panels over at Balticon. All that work is necessarily because my bamboo needs more sunlight in order to become the grove I know it has the potential to be. It’s already my favorite spot on our property, not only filling me with peace and joy but also providing a place for me to get lots of writing done.

Yesterday, I discovered I’m not the only one who likes to hang out there.

As I was about to fire up my chainsaw, I happened to glance up and see what I thought was a leaf which had fallen and landed on the head of the statue of Buddha by the bamboo. Then I looked more closely and saw … that was no leaf.

Buddha had a visitor! (more…)

Up until last week, I don’t think I’d seen more than two or three praying mantises in my life, and each time I felt privileged, sort of the way I feel when I see a rainbow. Though I’ve spotted rainbows far more frequently. (Yes, even double rainbows, of which I’ve seen a few.) But last week, I saw two praying mantises just a foot or two away from each other.

I was inside working, Irene was outside, and the phone rang. Which had me thinking … uh, oh. Irene spotted a snake. But she hadn’t. She spotted these guys.

First up—the male. (Or so I assume. You tell me.)

Next—the female. (Or so I again assume.) (more…)

Those who’ve been waiting for all the iris neepery to come to an end can celebrate—because the last first iris has bloomed.

By which I mean that though there are plenty more still to pop, there will be no additional unseen varieties beyond this one, known as Conjuration. (That’s Gold Galore you can see off to the left behind it, and some unnamed purple iris to the right.)

For all 18 varieties that have bloomed this year, check out flickr.

Another busy day, but I still managed to get outside for a bit to check out the new iris that popped this afternoon. It’s another one we picked up last year at Exline Iris Garden.

Its name is Betty Simon. And it’s one of my favorites.

For those sick of garden neepery, don’t worry—there’s only one more new variety to bloom. And then it will be back to our regularly scheduled program.

It’s gotten busy around here, so busy that I’m not shaving, and barely taking time away from the keyboard for meals. Yesterday, I even forgot to walk to the end of the driveway to check for mail! And for a writer not to check his mail … well, you know how busy that means I must be!

But I forced myself away from the computer for a few minutes to take a look at three new varieties of iris which bloomed today.

First up, Lime Fizz, which I bought last year at Exline Iris Garden.

(more…)

Shall we start the day with two more iris?

Why not?

The first of the two that popped this morning is from the haul I told you about yesterday that we made from our friend’s garden in Brooklyn. I have no idea of its name.

(more…)

Another new iris bloomed today. This wasn’t one we bought; instead, it’s one we inherited.

Some friends of ours in Brooklyn decided to get rid of all the iris from in front of their apartment, and so last summer—as we were on the way home from celebrating Marie Severin’s 80th birthday, I think—we dropped by to rip them out of the ground. (We also dropped by for dim sum, but that’s another story.)

We ended up with around 175 new rhizomes, of which this is the first to pop. For some reason the photo doesn’t capture it looking as purple as it is in real life, but it’s beautiful nonetheless.

More garden neepery, for those who can stand it.

Two more varieties of iris bloomed today, the first a veteran, the second one bought last year from Exline Iris Garden. Additional iris have been blooming, but as they’re duplicates of what you’ve already seen, there’s no need for me to show them to you again.

First, the returning iris. I have no idea of its name, but I’ll try to track it down.

Next, an iris we bought last year, which based on last year’s invoice, is called Shipshape. We should end up with 6-8 blooms from this one. (more…)

Irene snipped another 42 daffodils yesterday afternoon, for a total of 5,015 deadheaded blooms. Only one lonely daffodil remains in our garden, refusing to vacate the premises. For its tenacity, it deserves a place of honor. So here you have it.

Oh, last daffodil of Spring, we salute you!

I’m sure you know what they say about planting trees, that we don’t do it for ourselves, we do it for our kids. Even though I’ve planted a few trees, I never think quite that far ahead. But those who’ve heard me talk about daffodils know that they do have me thinking of at least the following year.

When I’m planting bulbs in October and November, I’m not even thinking of Winter—I’m looking through Winter to the following Spring. And when we’re in the middle of Winter … believe me, the thought of daffodils got me through many a snowbound day.

As we were visiting Exline Iris Garden this afternoon, I realized that iris are suddenly having me thinking even further ahead than that. When we bought from Exline last year, I was told I’d have to wait two years for any blooms. Which, for the most part, has turned out to be true—only 5 of the 28 rhizomes we put in the ground last year look like they’ll bloom in the coming weeks. That didn’t stop us from buying another 22 this year, two each of the varieties below.

If you’d like to see what will be in bloom in our 2012 garden (is it possible your interest in garden neepery extends that far?), click through several times to check these out!