Know Before You Grow
When I started gardening in my present location, I never imagined 6 years later, yellow flag iris (Iris pseudocorus) would still be popping up around the garden. This weekend, I spent a good two hours digging up another section growing in deep shade along the garden’s back fence area. We just finished putting in a fantastic new swing, complete with a tin roof.
Before the construction began, this invasive pest had to be once more eradicated from the site. Who would have thought that 11 years ago a one gallon pot of this devil’s child would spread so rampantly. Sure the yellow iris flowers are pretty for a week. Then the plump seed heads develop, and with the winds help spread the joy everywhere. The roots break off and any tiny piece is willing to sprout a new apple green fan destined to spread like wildfire.
The moral of this story is know what you plant before you lovingly coo over the new additions, digging a sweet hole for something that will plague you for many years to come.