I have been thinking about  lifting Iris and dividing them for some time…..years actually.  Part of the problem is that I need to clear spots in the garden before I begin lifting the iris.  I don’t want them out of the ground for more than a week..  I thought I was going to start with a pod of beautiful dark purple iris near the downspout, because I think they are in a spot too wet for Iris, but this morning the plan changed.

I set my alarm for O-dark:30 and hauled myself out of bed.  I started spading the outer curve of the sidewalk garden at 6:30, and weeded for two and a half hours, while it was still cool.  There is a pod of peach iris to the right edge of the area I cleared that has needed to be divided for years.  Each year the blooms were getting fewer and fewer in number because the rhizomes are so overgrown and there are too many weeds competing for the dirt and light. The weather was good, and I felt good, so I dug up about half of the iris.  I plan to replant three of them and share the others with friends and family.

I left two violets and a volunteer oriental lily, but I may take out the center violet.  I think I want to add more dirt, and plant a rose there, possibly some coneflowers, the peach iris and a verbena that will creep across the bed.  Once things are planted, I’ll put down Preen to discourage seed generation, and I’ll mulch. 

It seems that two and a half hours of weeding equals one overfilled wheelbarrow.

I think this is about half the peach colored iris, perhaps two-thirds of them.  It’s really difficult to tell because the rest of the bed is so over run by  clover and other weeds.

THIS is the mess immediately to the right of the bed that has been weeded.  (sigh)  It will take me YEARS to finish this project, but I’m glad I got such a good start today!  I’m a happy camper!