Image via WikipediaIn 1937 while living in Tulsa, Oklahoma my parents began purchasing Iris from Cooley Iris Farm in Salem, Oregon and continued doing so through the end of WW II. My mother purchased Iris from them until the mid 1980s. My husband and I living in Salem, Oregon have bought Iris for our gardens from Cooley's Iris Gardens http://www.cooleysgardens.com/ since 2002. We thank highly of their quality of plants, choice of colors and their wonderful service. Being just a short distance from our home makes it a delightful jaunt to visit the grounds. The beardeed Iris had beautiful, colorful and quite large blooms; however the green leaves and stems were damaged by the winds, the rains and consequently leaf rusts. All of the plants were dug; discarded or kept. Salem now has an organic recycling program so the discarding was quite easily accomplished. The Iris that were kept were washed thorougly, trimmed, dried and dusted with Comet powder to aide in preventing disease. The others were gifted to friends. The re-plants have been in the ground two weeks and we are looking forward to next Spring's blooms.
Our Oriental Lilies are now (4) years old; they have mutated to a common dominant color and their aroma is still pleasant. After their blooms are spent they will be dugged, discarded and new bulbs purchased for planting in the fall.
Our goal this year is to move towards flower beds that are easier to maintain and flowers that are bright and colorful to view.
Our garden gives us a great deal of pleasure. I am contented when I am working in our garden and am aware of the peace and beauty that surround me. Gardening is a great pleasure.
Can't wait to see your garden! Good for you.
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