Three years ago I blogged (see post HERE) about planting Siberian Iris alongside some stone steps and envisioning a future spring when they would provide a cascade of purple--a waterfall of bloom beside the Stairs of Doom (as these perilous stone steps are called.
And now here it is!
Gardeners' visions can seem so real--a bed of tiny seedlings amid lots of mulch is already a glorious herbaceous border in the gardener's eye. And maybe it will be. Or not. The ghosts of failed visions are everywhere in my landscape--the roses that required constant spraying, the delphiniums that wasted away in the heat, the beautiful border of hardy pink roses that became inundated with poison ivy, the deep red Nova Zembla rhododendrons that the deer destroyed, . . . oh, I could keep on at length, summoning up these leafy spirits but it's too depressing.
My evolved landscape and gardening is Darwinian--the survival of the fittest. And Siberian iris are survivors. As are daffodils. Tulips and hyacinths and many other bulbs simply don't make it past two (if I'm lucky) seasons. Daylilies and iris do well for me.
Of course there is always change. After forty-some years, places that once were sunny, are shaded. Beds that had room for annuals are crowded with shrubs. The gardener can no longer kneel to weed or even bend over for too long. She does what she can . . .
But there is a waterfall of bloom by the Stairs of Doom!
5 comments:
Daylilies are just about the best. We grow them in a tough spot, and they do pretty well. So far anyway.
Such good news, a gardening success! These are beautiful catches of purple!
There are Siberian irises growing here. Can't wait to see them bloom. There's a huge bed of them in front of the barn of all places. I found a peony in the grass at the back of the property. Today I put a tomato cage over it to mark it and give it support when and if it blooms. I think it just may do that.
Planning and planting are so rewarding. The mind is allowed to wander freely in space and on earth. Later come the multiple surprises of what has not been planned or planted...
Congratulations, Vickie, those irises are truly a feast for the eyes! I spotted a plant also on the other side, at the bottom of the steps.
Your title reminded me of my stairs of doom, in your house. I can still vividly recall the feeling of flying down to the cellar.
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