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| On the original guest list |
It is iris time and that is the best time in our garden. When we moved here all craziness was breaking loose with a
heart attack mixed with floor sanding mixed with paint parties. The garden was the least of our worries. After the sawdust settled, we looked outside and said "Yuck, what a mess!" Weeds, stumps and plants were doing very bad things.
Some places in the yard got all that I had at the time - a large donation of bearded iris rhizomes that a friend dug up from her yard. Those freebies have been the workhorses of our garden. They provide that amazing shot of elegance and color, plus their spiky leaves act like real plants the rest of the year, unlike other bulbs that behave like wilting violets once their beauty is gone.
This year we have a lovely volunteer, an almost black bearded iris that has come out of nowhere. A truly black flower is yet to be developed, I understand, and like most this turns to a deep purple. But that unfurled petal is as dark and lovely as you can get, and it did it all on its own. You just have to love these fun garden surprises, so much nicer than finding a weed with roots that reach Asia. Long live the uninvited flower to the garden party! No invitation? No problem, as long as you don't start with a W, end with a D and scream EEEEEEE in the middle.
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| The invitation said casual, but this guest went black tie. What a class act. |
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| The black stays on the petal edges, fading to a deep purple. This party crasher is most welcome. |
