Greetings from Sunshine Iris Nursery. What a challenging time we are all experiencing at the moment. But the good news is that social distancing is easy to maintain in the garden!
It’s not the first time people have turned to gardening in a time of crisis. During World War Two, many gardens were reorganised to produce fresh vegetables, fruits and herbs, particularly in those countries more geographically connected to the war.. Indeed, there seems to have been a bit of panic buying on seedlings from Bunnings in my part of the world!
There are other positives about gardening which I am sure we are all aware of – such as getting some fresh air, exercise and participating in something as a family. It’s also just lovely to watch something grow. As is often quoted, to nurture the garden is to feed not just the body, but the soul.
As we come into our colder months, it’s a great time to be looking at planting irises to get a bloom in the spring – something I’m looking forward to already! I feel we may be in for a long winter as we all isolate in our homes. Other jobs you could be doing with your irises at the moment include giving them a feed. The best time to fertilize your irises is in April and September. Choose a low nitrogen fertilizer or a general rose food product, as irises and roses have very similar growing needs – they both like lots of sun and good drainage. Don’t overwater your irises and try to control the weeds. Also ensure your irises are not over mulched. You don’t need to trim back your iris leaves unless you are moving and dividing the irises. If that’s the case, trim them by about two thirds.
Sunshine Iris Nursery is still open for business and will remain so as long as Australia Post continues to send our parcels. So why not catch the iris virus, and please, stay safe from the other one.
Happy gardening
Margie and Mandy