Henny Penny Farmette

Love the tropical foliage and brilliant color of dahlia and Canna lily blooms? Plant them now through April  if you live in Zones 8 through 11. Long prized as cut flowers for bouquets, dahlias and Canna lilies do not fail to dazzle also when grouped in flowerbeds alone or with other summer blooming plants.

Dahlia “Lake Michigan” cultivar with large purple blooms

Indigenous to Central Mexico, dahlias are herbaceous, leafy plants that offer blooms in a wide assortment of colors (except blue and black). Bloom size ranges from a  couple of inches across to roughly a foot wide (the largest size is known as “dinner-plate”). Tall varieties need staking and all types can benefit from dead-heading when blooms are spent.

Dahlia roots are actually tubers and do best when planted in moist, well-drained, loamy soil. If growing them in areas where there is frost, dig and store the tubers in a cool, dry (and frost-free) place in the fall for re-planting the next year. In extreme climates like the high desert, dahlias benefit from several inches of mulch covering the bed.

The main pests of dahlias are slugs, snails, earwigs, leaf hoppers, and aphids. Powdery mildew and gray mold can also infect the plant.

Canna lilies, like dahlias, are herbaceous summer-blooming plants that come in a wide variety of colors. Indigenous to sub-tropical areas of North and South America, Cannas can be grown as perennials in zones 7 through 11, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. In other zones with more extreme climates, mulch the plants two to four inches deep or lift the rhizomes (roots) and store them in dry peat moss in a cool, dry place until ready to replant.

Plant rhizomes of tall Canna lilies at the back of the flowerbed (or at the front of the bed if the plants are dwarf) in three to six inches of rich, well-drained soil. Position so that the eyes are facing up. Pests include slugs, snails, Canna leaf-rollers, and Japanese beetles. Aphids can spread canna viruses that can cause leaf streaking and bloom disfigurement. The plants are heavy feeders so will need a good organic fertilizer when they begin to look ratty and two to four inches of water each week.

Use tall dahlias and Canna lilies at the back of your flowerbed and add mid-size blooming plants in the middle and dwarf or low growing bedding plants with lots of color at the front to create a spectacular garden area this summer. If you live in a relatively frost-free zone, your dahlias and Canna lilies will spring back to life and carry on with colorful displays amid tropical foliage for years to come.

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Such a large clump of bearded iris must be divided

Dividing the rhizomes of bearded iris plants is an easy and necessary process as the plant ages. The division process is best done during late summer or early fall, but we are doing this job now on our farmette.

The rhizome is a thick tuberous type of structure that sends up stems and leaves and also produces roots. Many gardeners divide their iris clumps every three to four years. Our beds of iris have become overcrowded with many new baby plants. It’s time to divide.

Good top soil with low-nitrogen fertilizer ensures the iris get off to a good start

Before we move our iris from the side garden to planter boxes made of pressure-treated redwood, we prepare the soil in those boxes. We amend it with low-nitrogen fertilizer and compost.

These iris are planted too close–they will be replanted to  16 inches apart for air to circulate and for growing room

We cut back the foliage and pull off any of the sword-shaped leaves that have dried. Then we gently pull apart the new growth from the old clump. Pruning and cutting back the leaves helps ensure that pests do not overwinter.

These purple iris bloom in our garden in spring, making a lovely arrangement with roses

The rhizome produces more rhizomes over time. Eventually the original rhizome will wither and die. Regularly dividing the clumps ensures new baby plants and blooms for years to come.