Last year I ordered about 9 different dwarf iris rhizomes. I was out of town when they arrived, so I asked my husband if he could heel them in until I had a chance plant them. They stayed there all winter as I didn't get around to moving them. Even thought they aren't in a permanent location, it hasn't stopped these jewels from blooming this spring. They range between 5" - 10" in height. These petite iris are one of the first flowers to bloom and come in many colors. They are just too cute! I don't think one can have too many of these.

     The great thing about these small wonders is they do well just about anyplace. They are perfect for the front of a border, a rock garden, an edging or in a container garden. Their only requirements are water, soil that drains well and some sunlight. After a year or two there will be plenty of rhizomes to share. Divide and transplant them after they bloom.
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      My grandmother grew a field of iris for her floral business. (I'm not kidding when I say she had a field of them either!) She was especially fond of one variety with a huge purple bloom that grew on a 40" stem. I have some of them in my garden too....but they are not my favorites. I only grow them because she shared them with me and because of my love of her. Just when these huge flowers are in their glory, a strong gust of wind and/or rain can bend the stem to the ground. Here in Kansas we have those storm events every spring, and I just can't get too excited about flowers laying in the dirt. I've never found these sweet blooms on the ground. They always look perky and upright.


      You can see each plant still has the tag so I know it's name. Each day I'm out to photograph them to record their colors. I think it will help when I transplant them. It probably won't matter though. I have found I'm a careless gardener. I just mix flowers in where ever I find a good space. Mine were purchased from Schreiner's.

 

     Barb and I are back home.....a week at the beach is never enough. We wanted to stay another week, especially when we found out it was snowing at home. All good things must end though, and after developing project themes we want to accomplish this year it was time to come home to begin the implementation phase. (Now the work really begins.)


     We didn't have the best weather our entire week. There were a couple of the worse thunderstorms I've ever experienced. One night it rained 6-8" and explosive thunder shook and rocked the house. I asked my daughter Laura, to stay up during the night to make sure we didn't need to evacuate. She declined the offer and went to bed early. Luckily the storm awoke Barb, so she got to watch sheets of water pour down. As flashes of lightening lit up the sky she checked to make sure the gulf wasn't racing up over the dunes toward the beach house. I just put a pillow over my head and tried to sleep through it all.


     I dropped the next Loose Feather pattern files off at Boelte Hall before our trip. The pattern will be delivered to our warehouse tomorrow. Agnes Platt's lovely sampler belongs to Barb. It has hung in her home for years. It's been one of my favorites because of the colors and the bee skep. This sampler seems just right for spring and summer. Agnes stitched wonderful alphabets, a wending strawberry border and a sweet bee hive under a tree. Agnes didn't have any bees swarming around her skep so Barb added plenty in her sampler pictured on the top of the pattern cover.

     The original sampler looks square, but that's because it's stitched on uneven weave linen. The reproduction sampler stitched on 30ct. Vintage Gray linen by R & R Reproductions will be a wide rectangular shape. (18 3/4” x 13 1/4”) However, if you would rather have the look of the antique piece, you can stitch over 2 linen threads horizontally and 3 threads vertically. Just remember to adjust the size of linen you purchase.


      Spring is a buzzing finally in Kansas City! When I walk outside I hear "the girls" working. Our pin oak tree is in bloom and the bees are gathering nectar. I didn't realize how much honey bees are involved in pollinating oak and maple trees. When I heard the hum of activity I looked up and found them working the bloom in the tree. Guess we will have tons of acorns! It was hard for me to be in the right place to capture a picture of  one of our gals....but below is one beginning to land. I guess oak nectar is delicious! Who knew?


     I love the hearing them as I walk around the yard. It was really quiet until we began keeping bees.

Until later!
Alma