MAKING THE IRIS BED

Last year we decided we needed somewhere to put most of our bearded irises. They were in amongst the flower beds, which means that when the flowers grow the corns of the irises no longer get sun on them, which they need to help them flower.

Also whenever we garden in the flower beds the iris are always getting taken out and left to one side then put into a pot and left for years waiting..

So last year we decided that a good place for them would be round the sundial in the flower garden.

So today I started removing the grass between the circle for the sundial and the paving stones that go round it.

I had thought the gap between would be big enough for now but it appears that over the years a good four inches or more of the centre circle had vanished under the grass, so as I removed the grass only a small area of earth appeared but a lovely area of tile!

 now I want to edge it with the same grey bricks that the rest of this garden is edged in.

You can see here that of the bricks go in the area for the irises would be even smaller. Paul had said last year to remove the paving that circled it ...

So first of all I removed half the grass between the paving and then one of the paving stones. seeing that although it would make the area bigger with half removed , I'd then have to repair the half of ground not used plus again with the brick edge reducing area I decided in for a penny in for a pound!

So I decided to remove the paving and take the circle out to the edge of the area revealed. Which means it will be plenty big enough for the irises.

I love redesigning things , I find it's always best not to be focused completely on the first plan because things will always evolve as you work. And so it is with this iris bed.
It's now bigger than I planned and since removing all the paving and stopping for a cuppa on my return I decided to change the design again.

I've laid out some grey bricks round the centre circle which I'll dig and and make level with the circle and I've left in the paving stone either side of the circle which lines up with the original path.
This I am going to widen by adding two bricks flat either side.

This will mean you can still walk up to and round the sundial if you want to. Right time to stop for Lunch before I tackle placing all the grey bricks.

So several hours later it's almost finished. The paving stones that I've put grey edging round I like so much that after the open day I'm going to dig out the rest of the path and edge it all with the grey bricks making a clearer path.

You can see that at present it's just stepping stones set in the grass which then get covered and almost vanish until we remove the extra grass.

so all ready for the irises to be planted in and then the earth covered by gravel.

Some pots of irises that have been waiting ages for a place to stay!

Plus some irises made homeless when we buried Archie in the garden can now go back in plus we have lots more around the garden getting shaded by the flowers growing up round them.

So they will be planted tomorrow along with others that we have elsewhere and then a dressing of gravel to keep the weeds down and leave the corns to bake in the sun.

View from the gate into flower garden. I'm very pleased with how it's turned out.




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