When I told my realtor that I wanted a home with at least five acres, and that I was willing to go up to an hour away from school, I think he thought I was insane. Well, I have not yet come to my senses. I didn't mind the drive--it was mostly freeway--though when the gas prices skyrocketed, it did get a little expensive. The distance was a first step toward the Lord moving me out of Worthington Christian. And the house was a perfect place for taking care of my mom. And Morrow County Hospice has been incredible in helping me take care of her, and she has been a great witness and encourager to them as well. Honestly, she has done more for them then they have done for her. They wonderfully meet her physical needs. She wonderfully touches their hearts spiritually. Don't believe the lie that as you grow older, God can't use you anymore. Did I imagine or foresee any of this when I began looking for my first house at the ripe old age of fifty-nine? Nope. I didn't have an inkling of what God was up to in my life and in the life of my mom. But His plan was perfect--again. Imagine that.
I, of course, wanted all the land for flowers and shrubs and flowering trees and "regular" trees and all that stuff. I've always been a lover of flowers and plants. It's a family disease. But it was rather difficult to do much in an apartment. Sure, I had plants in every window, in front of any and all sliding glass doors, and lots of planters on any deck or patio. Now, however, I had an opportunity to actually have real flower beds with real flowers--lots of flower beds with lots of flowers. And the Acres were perfect for a myriad of flower and shrub types: sunny meadows, shady areas, a small section of woods, a pond and boggy wet area, and a huge meadow to just let grow wild. The Lord couldn't have given me a better "Eden," though this one comes with weeds. (Some weeds, by the way, are gorgeous.)
So when I arrived at Iten's Acres six years ago this August, the pressing "problem" was where to put the first flower beds. Naturally, one area I chose was at the front of the property, next to the driveway, and in full sun for the star attraction--Iris, of course. Mom had given me a ton of them from her gardens in South Carolina. I had no idea what color they were, but what did that matter? An iris is an iris. The royalty of flowers.
Most of my beds are constructed in the same way. Using bricks or wood, I form an "outline" for the bed. Then, newspapers are put down to retard the growth of weeds and grass. Next, the top soil is put on top of the newspapers. Finally, the flowers. Now, I admit that because I'm a "no mulcher," every three years or so I have to re-do most beds because of the weeds and grass, but there is something therapeutic about manual labor, and manual labor outside is exhilarating. Isn't feeling tired after a day of hard work outside actually restful?
In my years here, many a bed has gone through transformation. Thus, it was with this bed: Bed One--The Morning Glory Bed. Originally, it was built behind a large stone that is on the Acres. It was way too heavy to even think about moving. In addition, originally the bed was shaped like a huge triangle. And as mentioned, it was primarily an iris bed. There were a couple of daylilies--a double orange was actually outside the bed in front of the stone--and a second daylily was in a large wooden planter placed right in the front of the bed. A couple of phlox were planted in the middle of the iris. Since then, it has been expanded to include the stone in the bed itself and a couple of feet were added to the back of the bed. And it is no longer a triangle but a square of sorts. The phlox were moved up to the house as well. Much too tempting to the deer.
The first spring, not one iris bloomed. Nary a one. They were all lush and green, but no blooms. Horrors! (Thus was established the theory that iris like a year to just move in and get comfortable before they bloom.) The second year they all bloomed. Gorgeous! Breathtaking! Marvelous! Stunning! Exhilarating!--you get the idea. At this moment, I assume, you are wondering why I call this bed The Morning Glory Bed and not The Iris Bed, especially considering my "bias" toward irises. (Is it bias if it's true?) Well, three years ago I planted some morning glory seeds in this bed. Wow! Have they taken off! I do have morning glories in most of the other beds and in many other places, but in this bed they have flourished. From mid-June to frost, this bed--the entire bed--is a sea of morning glories, seven or eight different colors. (See the adjectives above for a description.) Fortunately they come up and start blooming after the irises and other spring flowers have done their blooming--crocus, daffodils, grape hyacinth, tulips, and so on. So when those beauties "disappear" under the "waves" it's no problem. There is some competition for the morning glories, but they are all taller plants: the daylilies, oriental lilies, bee balm, hollyhock, cosmos, gladiolas, and tall snapdragons. These all rise above the glories and actually enhance their beauty by giving the morning glories flowers they can climb. Turn into Iten's Acres in April and May--beautiful iris, daffodils, grape hyacinth, tulips will meet your gaze. Turn into the Acres in mid-summer, and you will be greeted by an ocean of morning glories "interspersed" with their taller cousins. And guess where I get most of the morning glory seeds that I use to spread their beauty elsewhere in the Acres?
The Yearly Progression of Beauty in The Morning Glory Bed: (The months mentioned are when the flowers START blooming. The parentheses indicate annuals that are added in May and bloom until frost or in the case of snapdragons and larkspur--beyond frost.)
March: crocus
April: grape hyacinth, daffodils, tulips
May: dwarf iris, German iris, mountain bells, allium, lavender mountain lilies (portulaca, salvia, snapdragon, dusty miller. I've had a difficult time finding a place to put my portulaca. I love them, but the creatures love them too. Thankfully, they do well here and have not been found by the hungry beasts.)
June: Dutch iris, bee balm, love-in-the-midst, lilies, morning glories
July: Hollyhock (larkspur, cosmos, gladiolas)
November: re-blooming iris
Feel free to schedule your visit/visits according to the flowers you love best. (If that's not the iris, I'll add you to my prayer list.) Small bouquets of cut flowers are permitted. Bring your own vase. Come every month. Just let it slip out that iris are BY FAR your favorites.
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