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lovelyiris

WANTED: Flooding, Lost My Iris's Need Help

lovelyiris
16 years ago

Due to the rainfall we've had here in East Texas the past 3 months I've lost a great many of my iris's.

I have a few that MAY survive not sure right now. My flowerbeds have been completely underwater for so long they have just rotted and turned to stinky mush in the ground.

These beds are in a good location, but with it raining here nearly every day the ground can't absorb the water. Therefore the ground has been depleted of the oxygen the plants need to survive. As most people know, Iris's don't like wet feet.

I have always had an open garden and shared my plants with everyone. Now I need help with getting iris re-established .If anyone has any extra starts of any color- kind etc. I would be grateful and willing to pay postage for them.

I have ordered some from Cooley's but will not get them until late September.

I am just hearbroken looking at what use to be my beautiful iris beds. The Canna's and Elephant Ears loved the water. They are all huge.I have some canna's I could trade, but I don't know the names of most. I have Tropicanna Gold, Tropicanna Black, a tall over 6 ft. purple leaved orange blossom, I have red, orange, yellow, splashes of orange on yellow, and splashes of red on yellow with some of the blossoms on the same bloom solid red. These all have green leaves.

I'm just sick from losing so many of my iris's and I would be grateful for any help I can get in getting my beds re-established.

Happy Gardening!

Iris

Comments (25)

  • Nancy
    16 years ago

    I have some iris I can share if you are looking for tall beardeds.

  • sylviatexas1
    16 years ago

    I'll be happy to send you some for postage.

    Please email me at sylviaboardwalk@aol.com, as gardenweb's email sometimes doesn't work.

  • redsnowflake
    16 years ago

    I'm so sorry you've had this happen. I can imagine it must be heartbreaking. I have some unknown lavender bearded iris that I would love to trade for some of your cannas. Please email me at redsnowflake@comcast.net to work something out.

  • lovelyiris
    Original Author
    16 years ago

    I'm so excited to log on here and see that people can be so kind and understanding. I have just been sick over losing so many of my iris's. I will be sending each of you an email. Thank you from the bottom of my heart. It brings a smile to my face and joy to my heart to know that there are still compassionate people in this world.

    I've got to get address's so I can send canna's and postage.
    Thanks again, Lovelyiris.

  • lovelyiris
    Original Author
    16 years ago

    Nancy and Sylvia your postage is in the mail. Thank you again from the bottom of my heart.

    Redsnowflake I will get your cannas in the mail Monday morning since you don't want to wait. I would normally wait till it cools off. I will do my best with them, despite the weather. No promises on what they will look like when they get there. I'll send a couple of extras and cross my fingers that they make the trip ok.

    Thank all of you for your kindness. I just can't wait to get my iris beds back in.

    Happy Gardening,
    Marian AKA Lovely Iris

  • redsnowflake
    16 years ago

    Thank you Marian. I'm sure they'll be fine. I won't be able to get yours in the mail Monday morning, as I won't have my car back until Monday night, but will send them Priority first thing Tuesday morning. Will let you know when I receive the cannas and also when I send your iris. Thanks again!

    ~Amanda

  • ohio_monica
    16 years ago

    If you still need some I have unnamed yellow, and some really pretty purple ones I could send you for postage. I also have one that is a pale yellow with a white and purple beard (or whatever it is called. Just let me know.

  • redsnowflake
    16 years ago

    Marian - got your iris in the mail today. They are a little on the small side - I hope you aren't disappointed. I also included some gladiolus bulbs. I hope you like them!

    Confirmation #0306 3030 0000 7562 0564

  • lovelyiris
    Original Author
    16 years ago

    Ohio Monica,

    I would dearly love to get some of your purple and yellow Iris's. Actually I'd like to get any you have to share. I don't have a lot of things that survived all the rain. I have a bunch of different Cannas. Right now I can't send any more postage for at least a week or two. I am on a fixed income and I have 5 people I've sent postage to this past week. Anyway, if you don't mind waiting a little while I'd love to do a trade or postage for some of your iris's.

    Thank You for your kind offer. Everyone one this garden site is so kind and understanding. This really is a place I enjoy spending time on and reading and learning more about plants other than the ones I've always enjoyed growing.

    Happy Gardening,
    Marian AKA Lovely Iris

  • lovelyiris
    Original Author
    16 years ago

    Nancy, I got the box of iris's you sent today. I was thrilled to see how many you were able to get in the box. They all look just fine. I'm soaking them in bleach water right this minute. I am tickled to death that you cared enough to help a fellow gardener out. Just let me know if there is anything I can do for you.

    Thank you and God Bless You,
    Marian

  • jeanr
    16 years ago

    if you are still looking for iris, please email me. i have lots of tb iris.

    jean

  • lovelyiris
    Original Author
    16 years ago

    Hi Jean,
    I would love to get some more iris's. Several people have promised me some. I have only received some from 2 different people. I will be emailing you this evening.

    Thanks in Advance,
    Marian, AKA Lovely Iris

  • redsnowflake
    16 years ago

    Hi Marian,

    Just checking to see if you received the Iris and Gladiolus bulbs I sent you last week. I had my son this past Friday morning, so I haven't really had a chance to check with you until now.

    Also, just wondering when you sent the cannas. They haven't arrived yet. I'm hoping they aren't lost in the mail or something. If you sent them last week, then they surely won't survive the trip. That's the bad thing about the USPS: 2-3 day Priority Shipping can sometimes turn into a week long fiasco. Hopefully this is not the case here.

  • lovelyiris
    Original Author
    16 years ago

    Hi Amanda,

    I sent you an email and a snail mail thanking you for the iris and bulbs and telling you it would be a few more days before I dig the canna's. You will probably get the snail mail tomorrow.

    It has been about 100 degrees here nearly everyday. I've not be able to get out there and dig them. I am an OLD lady so I try to not over do it in the heat. It is a little cooler today I think it's only going to be about 97. I'll try to get out there in a little while and dig them.

    Thanks again for everything. I will put my gardening hat on and dig them this afternoon.

    Marian AKA LOVELY IRIS

  • redsnowflake
    16 years ago

    Glad you received the iris and gladiolus. There's no rush - my main reason for not wanting to wait was to try to get them planted before my son was born. But he decided he wasn't going to wait on me! LOL. Anyway - don't worry yourself with getting out in this heat. It can be a killer. We're finally down in the low to mid 90's this week. It just feels so much better now!!!

    Anyway - I was just worried the postal service had lost them or was just taking its time. Again, no rush. Just let me know when you do send so I can be on the lookout for them.

  • lovelyiris
    Original Author
    16 years ago

    Well I got your message a little too late. I got out there in the heat and dug some up.

    I have no ideal what kind of shape they will arrive in. I tried several different methods.

    Tropicanna Gold is in a big plastic coke bottle, with wet paper towels wrapped around them. There are 3 nice size rhizomes with several nods on each.

    Tropicanna Black is in a paper towel roll , without anything around the rhizome. This was a small plant. I kept breaking if off at the ground.

    Cleopatra is wrapped in wet paper towels that are wrapped with plastic wrap.

    I included a tall purple leaf canna that I don't know the name of. It gets about 8 ft tall including the reddish orange bloom. I grow most of these for the foilage and not their blooms.

    Cleopatra is a green leaf canna that blooms very pretty yellow splashed blooms and sometimes they are half red- half yellow. This is one of my favorites when it is blooming. Very full unusual blooms. No two blooms alike. You can google it and see if you like it.

    Your confirmationnumber is 0306 1070 0002 7733 0333.

    Congrats on the birth of your son. I didn't even know you were expecting. Is this your first child?

    I hope these cannas do well for you. Please let me know which ones arrived in the best shape. I guess you can say I experimented with your package.

    Happy Gardening,
    Marian AKA Lovely Iris

  • redsnowflake
    16 years ago

    I'm so sorry you got out in this crazy heat. I hope you're no worse for the wear. I do thank you for the cannas though. I didn't expect for you to send so many! Though it is most certainly appreciated. I will let you know when they arrive and which ones faired the best, although I suspect they will all survive. One thing I have learned is that cannas are pretty tough plants.

    And thank you for the congrats on the birth of my son. He is actually my second boy. My first will be 8 in December. If you are interested, you can read the story of his arrival and see pics on the Daylily Swap post in the Round Robin Exchange forum here.

    Thank you again. I look very forward to the cannas.

    God Bless,
    Amanda

  • redsnowflake
    16 years ago

    Marian -

    Just wanted to pop on here to let you know that both the cannas and your snail mail letter were received yesterday. All the cannas arrived in fine shape. It did not seem to matter whether they were sent dry or moist, or what they were wrapped in. I already have most of them in the ground and hope to get the rest planted sometime tomorrow.

    Sorry I didn't get on here to let you know sooner, but as you can imagine, I've had my hands full. And any spare time I do get, I try to use it to tend to my flowers.

    Thanks you so much for the cannas. I am especially appreciative of the Cleopatras you sent - that is a canna I've wanted since hearing of it.

    Also, thank you for your kind words on the birth of my son. You are a very sweet woman. I hope you are able to rebuild a beautiful iris bed before too long. :)

    Take care,
    Amanda

  • dragonfly65
    16 years ago

    Marian, Just found your posts. Do you want anymore iris for cannas. I have iris of all colors going to die in my shade garden that I am making room for hostas now. I have no room for them. These all are very old iris. I have had cannas but only the red ones. If you want to trade they would have to be dry because I would have to save them till spring. Sorry for your loss. My email is bevsbluedog@yahoo.com do not do this if you do not feel like it but I would send you the irises anyway. Bev

  • lovelyiris
    Original Author
    16 years ago

    Hi Dragonfly,

    Sure, I can always use some more irises. Let me give you my address and when I receive the irises I'll pop the cannas right back in the mail to you. I will have to dig them fresh as they are still growing here. I will however cut them back to the roots and dry them for a few days.

    Marian Ritchie
    1344CR 4490
    Winnsboro, Texas 75494

    Oh and not to sound greedy, but send me as many as you want. I have 35 acres of land that I play with. Well almost that much. I do have a few horses that I have to let have a least one or two fields. (lol) I keep creeping in on their haymeadow too.

    If I had it my way it would ALL BE FLOWERS.

    Anyway I still have plenty of places that need irises replanted around them.

    I have ordered a bunch but it will be no where near enough to replace the one's I lost.

    Thank you for being so kind.
    Marian

  • mikesc
    16 years ago

    Hi Marian,
    That is really sad about the flooding. I have been digging and dividing my irises trying to make room for new ones that I don't have room for. I still have plants I could send for postage. If interested, I am at 'matbeach1@aol.com'

    thanks,
    Mike in South Carolina

  • lovelyiris
    Original Author
    16 years ago

    I would dearly love any extra irises you have for postage Mike. I will be sending you an email in just a moment.
    Thank You so much for your kind offer.

    Best Regards,
    Marian AKA Lovely Iris

  • redsnowflake
    16 years ago

    Marian,

    I received your thank you note in the mail a few days ago. That was incredibly sweet of you. I hope your iris beds are filling back up nicely.

    If you still need some next year, I have some unknowns that, after they bloom so I can see what they are, I'd be happy to share with you. Just let me know.

    Take care,
    Amanda

  • Nancy
    16 years ago

    I received your card also, Marian, how nice of you :) I hope they are doing well for you. The ones I traded for this summer are all doing great, I don't think I lost a single one. Even one I thought might not make it has come out & grown a lot in just the last couple of weeks.

  • lovelyiris
    Original Author
    16 years ago

    Nancy and Amanda I'm so glad that you enjoyed your cards. That was the least I could do since you both shared some of your Irises with me.

    I want you both to know that all the irises are doing great. Since it has cooled off a little they have all grown several inches and some even have babies growing on the sides of them(grin). I can't wait to see what I have when the bloom.

    Thanks again Ladies and Happy Gardening as always,
    Hugs, Marian

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