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August 17, 1999
The Bearded Iris and the Beautiful BulbSome 3,000 years ago, Homer wrote in The Iliad that “he made Iris of the golden wings his herald…” ; in 1827 Iris germanica was being offered in the Toronto Nursery Catalogue; and over the next century or so the iris became a beloved part of the Canadian garden. August is the time when Toronto gardeners lift, divide and replant their rhizomonous bearded iris. This operation normally needs to be undertaken every three to five years, but must be done if these exquisite plants, so much part of the Canadian scene, are to continue to give their best. Cut back the despondent foliage to 5 cm from the base, and then dig the whole thing up. Shake gently to release as much soil as possible- it may be necessary to use a hose to assist in this operation. Each portion of rhizome bearing a fresh section of leaves can be cut through with a sharp knife, creating a new plant. Prepare the flower bed by forking over, removing every last trace of perennial weed roots. Dig in as much compost as is available, either from the home composter, or the purchased variety. In heavier clay soils, the rhizomes must be planted so the top is just breaking the surface of the soil. In sand soils, such as those found in much of East York, the top is best about 2.5 cm below the surface. Any more than this will delay flowering. A light sprinkle of lime will also prove beneficial, but avoid fertilizing. Another essential garden operation later this month is the control of the notorious white grubs on the lawn. If you had patches of dead grass on the lawn this spring and the culprit was not a dog, it’s likely it was –and is- white grub. “Catch ‘em young” is the battle cry of besieged gardeners. And young and vulnerable they are in August. Since this is also an excellent time to apply fertilizer, there is no reason why the two cannot be combined. There are several proprietary brands featuring feed and grub control together in the same bag. Cabaryl (‘Sevin’) is the active ingredient and sorry, there are no known effective natural controls. Water the lawn heavily 24 hours before applying. Fall is just around the corner, and with it bulb planting time. Enthusiasts should send for any or all of the catalogues from these specialists, listed alphabetically:
As bulbs are heavy in large quantities, avoid freight charges by arranging to pick them up from those suppliers located in or close to Toronto. Take the time to see what else is happening in and around Toronto. Saturday, 21 August: Lower Don nature walk with TFN’s Colleen Prentice; meet 10 a.m. outside Broadview subway station; bring lunch; gardens and restoration sites in the Don Valley. Saturday, 28 August: Rouge Valley nature walk with TFN’s Robin Powell; meet NE corner Sheppard East and Meadowvale at 10:30 a.m.; bring lunch; long walk but worth it. Mount Pleasant Cemetery is a splendid place to take a relaxing walk. Containing several hundred trees, it qualifies as one of North America’s great arboretums. A wonderful guide to this is Mike Filey’s Mount Pleasant Cemetery, with many a fascinating fact both horticultural and otherwise. One of the best: the late Parks Commissioner Tommy Thompson’s memorial stone bears his famous words: PLEASE WALK ON THE GRASS.
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