Walking Joy

I was in the right place at the right time and found the last plants I needed for my new bed. Since March, I have been looking for an iris with strappy foliage. I was inspired by the Siberian Iris, but they don't do well in San Antonio. At the GVST booth at CPS Energy's Live Green Fest a few weeks ago, I bought two Walking Irises for $10.


I'm not familiar with Walking Irises, but I'm excited to learn. They can grow in part sun, which is good because my climbing rose is creating more shade than I anticipated. In the early spring, Walking Irises produce buds at junctures along the sides of the foliage. The buds swell and then unfold into silky flowers (click the link; you won't regret it) that last only one day. The plant gets its name because, after the flower shrivels, new leaves and roots form at the juncture. The growth forces the mother strap to bend to the ground, allowing the new plant to root in the soil, thus the "Walking" Iris.


You might have wondered from my first photo whether Bailey broke my Autumn Joy Sedum. 'Tis true. The plants were too small and her paws are too big.

Luckily, plant addict that I am, I always enter big box stores through the garden center and I found these Autumn Minies (minies, is that the plural?) for $4 each. Whoot!

So with my new irises and my replacement sedums, my bed is complete. Now I'm waiting for things to fill in. (And holding my breath to see how much shade the rose creates.) Click the photo if you want to see tags identifying each plant.