I love the way you have created this border. Obviously it is themed with irises growing on both sides of the path. 'Superstition' has grown into an eyecatching clump! Also your catmints are looking wonderful ( I have a few of these that ought to be placed out my next spring...thanks for the reminder and idea). Have you plans to add something else for later in the season in the empty parts ?
Arturo

hampartsum said: I love the way you have created this border. Obviously it is themed with irises growing on both sides of the path. 'Superstition' has grown into an eyecatching clump! Also your catmints are looking wonderful ( I have a few of these that ought to be placed out my next spring...thanks for the reminder and idea). Have you plans to add something else for later in the season in the empty parts ?
Arturo

Thanks!
In summer, the border garden has bee magnets with less foliage like coneflowers, not visible in this view. Spiked dark purple Veronica (First Glory) is there but in this photo the veronica is part obscured by irises, and partially too early in the season to see much color yet anyway. The Veronica is REALLY great, sturdy, bees are always crawling all over it, and has minimal foliage. A good iris neighbor these past 2 or 3 years.


There are also yellow daylilies too, which are hidden by iris foliage (and it's too early in the season for them in this photo), along with the catmint and geraniums.

The hopeful gaps on the left you see are 1) partially to accommodate the growth I hope to see from the 3 new iris transplants last fall, and 2) partially for improved airflow.

The "soil" in my yard is nearly solid CLAY. I amend it with garden soil, compost, and worm droppings (that's a new one this year), but it is going to take time.
* The clay is very dense and holds on to water, so I am forever digging drainage paths lined with gravel to prevent rhizome rot (works pretty well, actually!).
* And things can start to get "humid" (?) when irises get too close to each other.
* And where I am, borers are a real problem.

So I am mindful to leave room for airflow, to prevent rot and leaf spot in the irises.

I used to live in Buenos Aires where I grew up. There my garden was placed on clay and the climate there is humid. The summers are hot ( which I dread... ) and it is a 12 month growing season. Almost no frost 12 months long! Possibly with global warming there are no longer winter frost inside the city. Fortunately I've moved south and into the mountains so I no longer fear imminence of summer as a threat... This happened 30+ years ago. So when I read posts like yours I have to be reminded of how different your conditions are to mine, where we both grow irises and share many plants. I do grow Veronicas and Echinaceas too, apart from daylilies.
In Buenos Aires, when I encountered clay in my beds, I simply added coarse river sand to it. Yes I know that is a no-no thing up there. Because I trained in agriculture, I also know that soils can be ammended and even created artificially . So as I read gardening articles against adding sand to clay soil, I haven't found a single source of credible information around it. As far as I can see it is one of these garden myths that go around. If you want to reconsider this and give it a try you can just make a small trial with a corner with a spadeful of sand mixed with all the other above-mentioned ammendments and spread it over a square foot. Irises love sandy soil ( like mine now here south). If don't want to take risks choose some extra divisions and see how they fare.
Air flow, yes, is an issue in humid summer conditions. That asks for spacing out your tall foliage plants so that air flow is maintained over all. By now your border should be filled with your later flowers . Even if were to stay just green, the contrast of different shapes of leaves, provides that serene entrance way, a very inviting welcome. My again.
Arturo