Download this Premium Vector about Unicorns hand drawn doodle color, and discover more than 78 Million Professional Graphic Resources on Freepik. #freepik #vector #doodlesketch #doodle #handdrawnsketch

W hat I love most about August is the flower catalogs that come in the mail. My all-time favorite catalog is the ones with irises. It's a magical time when bearded irises unfurl their pencil-slim buds to reveal a kaleidoscope of color in spring. Once commonly called flags, these perennials flourish in USDA Zones 3-9, where winter temperatures dip below freezing and allow the plant to go dormant before next year's growth. Next to roses, the iris is my all-time favorite flower. They are fragrant and the blooms have an iridescent quality to them. A serious cottage garden must have irises. Bearded iris is among the most elegant -- and easy to grow -- flowers of spring. Follow our tips for long-lasting, ever-multiplying blooms. Bearded irises are relatively easy garden plants to grow and will give good results with a minimum of care, but like all plants, the better the culture the more magnificent the display. The following instructions are easy to implement and should lead to beautiful iris blooms year after year. Planting Bearded Iris Soil Preparation: Iris will thrive in most well-drained garden soils. Planting on a slope or in raised beds helps ensure good drainage. If your soil is heavy, coarse sand or humus may be added to improve drainage. Gypsum is an excellent soil conditioner that can improve most clay soils. The ideal pH is 6.8 (slightly acidic), but Iris are tolerant in this regard. To adjust the pH of your soil, lime may be added to acidic soils or sulfur to alkaline soils. It is always best to have your soil analyzed before taking corrective measures. When, Where and How to Plant Bearded Iris Rhizomes: For best results, Iris should be planted in July, August or September. It's imperative that the roots of newly planted Iris be well-established before the growing season ends. In areas with hot summers and mild winters, September or October planting may be preferred. Iris need at least a half day of sun. In extremely hot climates, some shade is beneficial, but in most climates Iris do best with at least 6 hours a day of full sun. should be planted so the tops of the rhizomes are exposed and the roots are spread out facing downward in the soil. Step (1) Build up a small mound of soil in the center of the planting hole. Step (2) Center the rhizome on the soil mound and spread out the roots on either side. Step (3) Firm the soil around the roots. Newly planted rhizomes should be watered thoroughly. Be Patient -- Irises are perennials and require time to grow. New growth may be noticeable within 2-3 weeks and begins with a new center leaf in the fan. Depending upon the maturity of the rhizome and the geographical location, there may or may not be blooms the first Spring. In very light soils or in extremely hot climates, covering the rhizome with 1 inch of soil may be desirable. Firm the soil around each rhizome and then water to help settle the soil. A common mistake is to plant Bearded Iris too deeply. Iris are generally planted 12 to 24 inches apart. Close planting gives an immediate effect, but closely planted Iris will need to be thinned often. Plants spaced further apart will need less frequent thinning. Watering Needs of Bearded Iris Newly set Iris plants need moisture to help their root systems become established. Specific watering information depends on your climate and your soil, but keep in mind that deep watering at long intervals is better than more frequent shallow waterings. Once established, Iris normally don't need to be watered except in arid areas. Over-watering is a common error. Fertilizing Bearded Iris Specific fertilizer recommendations depend on your soil type, but bone meal, superphosphate and 6-10-10 are all effective. A light application in the early spring and a second light application about a month after bloom will reward you with good growth and bloom. Avoid using anything high in nitrogen, as nitrogen encourages rot problems. The soil type for your area will determine your fertilizer needs. Superphosphate, or a well-balanced fertilizer with an N-P-K ratio of 10-10-10 or 5-10-10 are recommended. Avoid anything high in nitrogen as it encourages soft growth that is susceptible to disease. Provide a light application in early spring and again a month after bloom . Place fertilizer around rhizomes, not directly on them. Alfalfa pellets (without salt) are extremely beneficial when incorporated in the soil around newly planted irises. Do NOT use Feed and Weed preparations. Dividing Clumps When irises become crowded, usually every three to four years, bloom will decline. At this time, old clumps may be thinned by removing several divisions and leaving a portion of the clump in the ground. A better practice is to remove the entire clump, replenish the soil and replant a few large rhizomes. Bloom Habits Bearded Iris range from the small to the tall, with the shortest of them beginning to bloom as early as late March here in Oregon. The color spectacle continues into April with the emergence of the Median Bearded Iris, followed by the Tall Bearded Iris which begin to fade in early to mid-June. Bloom time for each variety lasts approximately two weeks, depending on the weather. There are some Tall Bearded Iris that bloom early and some that bloom late, so try some of each to lengthen your season by a week or two. Consider some of the smaller bearded Iris, such as the Intermediate and Standard Dwarf Bearded Iris, as you can add a month to the beginning of your bloom season using these. Caring for Your Iris Beds Keep your Iris beds clean and free of weeds and debris, allowing the tops of the rhizomes to bask in the sun. Bloom stalks should be cut off close to the base after all buds have finished blooming. Healthy green leaves should be left undisturbed, but diseased or brown leaves should be removed. Some of my favorite Irises ________________________________________________________________

#CA_Tutorial: Lois van Baarle

Paper Irises are super simple to make and can […]

This listing is for a beautiful floral vintage clip art illustration of an iris. With your purchase you will receive: One PNG file on a transparent background. The size is approximately 3.9” x 10.15” inches (1174 x 3045 pixels). One JPG file on a white background 8.5” x 11” (2550 x 3300 pixels). My Etsy previews include an example of the PNG file on a white background and a textured background. Watermark will not appear on your downloaded image. This is a digital file. No physical product will be shipped. PLEASE NOTE: I have separate terms of use for vintage images and my designs. Terms of use for this item are: You MAY NOT: Sell, share, or redistribute the graphics in their original digital format. You MAY: Print as many times as you wish for your personal crafts. Print to use in projects to sell, including: scrapbooks, junk journals and albums. Use the graphics, even without changes, for any printed or physical product. Use the graphics to create physical or digital products in which your own creative changes have been applied, such as scrapbook paper, junk journal pages, clip art, invitations, stationery, gift wrap, tags, apparel, home décor and more. Purchase does not transfer copyright.

I know this is a stretch but do you have designs for any minor Gods like Morpheus, Iris, Nike, Hypnos, or Thanatos? nothing is a stretch in this house. here's my design for morpheus I tried giving…

Simple Maze Printables To Stimulate Little Minds Welcome to the wonderful world of simple maze printables and activities. Get your little one started early! Mazes are great for developing those little minds. It keeps kids mentally stimulated while they are having fun. Below are some simple maze printables. They are mildly challenging for little ones. Each maze is unique, with fun illustrations to keep your little one engaged. To print, click on the link below any maze you like. All our printables are for personal use. Print as many as you like. Feel free to come back often to get

Iris Folding Horse for our granddaughter's 5th birthday card. Iris folding is one of my favorite paper-crafting techniques.

Iris Apfel once said “More is more and less is a bore.” If you’ve been following this blog for awhile, you’ll know that I proudly live by that maximalist mantra. So it’s no surprise that,…

Here's something I created so that my students could practice determining the area of different triangles.

We spent the last two weeks learning about animal classification. This all came about last year when we were doing our rain forest animal reports. Many of

Nachdem ich seit Jahren immer wieder gefragt werde, wann es denn meine Infografiken endlich als Poster geben würde (oder ob es die vielleicht schon gibt), habe ich nun zunächst den Frisurenbogen, die Anleitungen für Knoten sowie die Infografik zum Wasserkreislauf überarbeitet und hochgeladen – für Kunstdrucke zu Posterlounge (auch via eBay!) und für Postkarten, Kaffeetassen […]