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About Eugene weekly. (Eugene, Oregon) 1993-current | View Entire Issue (Oct. 20, 2016)
GARDENING BY RACHEL FOSTER SOME LIKE IT DRY Count on iris for summer-dry gardens ignificant rain in early October is a boon to garden- ers who value the fall gardening season. This goes in spades for those of us who don’t irrigate heavily in summer. Some years we can be well into winter be- fore the soil is fully workable, and that’s frustrating because we count on a long rainy season to get new plants established. What’s more, this is the best time to move or divide certain plants that are naturally adapted to dry conditions in summer: For example, a number of iris are excellent low-water perenni- als, and several of them put out new roots in fall. The first place to look for drought-tolerant iris is our own backyard, so to speak. The Pacific Northwest’s native iris are made for dry summers. Our own Oregon iris (Iris tenax) loves sunny banks and meadows and is abundant along rural high- ways. Here in the Willamette Valley, its April flowers are usually blue-purple or lavender, but color varies, especially in the foot- hills and the Rogue Valley. The narrow, grassy foliage disap- pears in winter. This species re-seeds very freely. Years ago, I acquired my first Oregon iris by digging seedlings in fall from a construction site in the South Hills. Near the coast, from Coos County south, Douglas iris (Iris douglasiana) is the dominant iris species. It is evergreen and vigorous. Flowers can be cream, lavender or purple. Douglas iris is one parent of a swarm of hybrids, collectively known as Pacific Coast hybrids, derived from Oregon and Northern California species. Both Oregon iris and Douglas iris are great plants for na- tive gardens, but the real glamor is found among those hy- brids. Compact clumps of narrow evergreen leaves produce S IMAX: JACK REACHER: NEVER GO BACK [CC,DV] (PG-13) ★ Fri. - Sat.1130 230 530 830 JACK REACHER: NEVER GO BACK [CC,DV] (PG-13) Fri. - Sat.(100) 400 700 1000 KEEPING UP WITH THE JONESES [CC,DV] (PG-13) Fri. - Sat.(140) 425 710 955 OUIJA: ORIGIN OF EVIL [CC,DV] (PG-13) Fri. - Sat.(1200 240) 520 800 1040 TYLER PERRY'S BOO!: A MADEA HALLOWEEN [CC,DV] (PG-13) Fri. - Sat.(1130 215) 500 740 1025 KEVIN HART: WHAT NOW? [CC,DV] (R) Fri. - Sat.(1235 310) 545 820 MAX STEEL [CC,DV] (PG-13) Fri. - Sat.(200 PM) THE ACCOUNTANT [CC,DV] (R) Fri. - Sat.(1210 320) 630 940 MIDDLE SCHOOL: THE WORST YEARS [CC,DV] (PG) Fri. - Sat.(140) 415 650 920 SHIN GODZILLA NR Sat.(200 PM) THE GIRL ON THE TRAIN [CC,DV] (R) Fri. - Sat.(150) 440 730 1020 DEEPWATER HORIZON [CC,DV] (PG-13) Fri. - Sat.435 PM 720 PM 1010 PM MASTERMINDS [CC] (PG-13) Fri. - Sat.(215 PM) 750 PM MISS PEREGRINE'S HOME FOR PECULIAR CHILDREN [CC,DV (PG-13) Fri. - Sat.640 PM MISS PEREGRINE'S HOME FOR PECULIAR CHILDREN 3D [CC (PG-13) ★ Fri. - Sat.(1220 PM 330 PM) 950 PM STORKS [CC,DV] (PG) Fri. - Sat.(110 340) 610 840 THE MAGNIFICENT SEVEN [CC,DV] (PG-13) Fri. - Sat.(1140 250) 600 910 THE QUEEN OF KATWE [CC,DV] (PG) Fri. - Sat.450 PM 1025 PM SULLY [CC,DV] (PG-13) Fri. - Sat.(110 345) 620 855 IRIS TENAX huge numbers of flowers with broad, often ruffled petals in an amazing range of colors and color combinations. And although they need little or no water in summer, they will usually toler- ate average irrigation. October is a great time to divide Pacific iris, provided they have started to produce new roots. Before you disturb an entire clump, dig around the perimeter and detach one or two fans of leaves. They should have fresh white roots attached, an inch long or more. In dry gardens, it’s a good idea to give clumps a good soak in September to encourage early root development. If you are planting divisions in pots, they’ll benefit from some protection. A cold frame or greenhouse is ideal. If you want to plant starts directly into the garden and miss the October window, it may be best to wait until soils begin to warm in February. Several other types of iris are drought tolerant. The familiar bearded iris — dwarf, tall or intermediate, especially the older cultivars — can get by with little summer water. In fact, dry conditions may deter fungal diseases that tend to disfigure the leaves. (Bearded iris are usually divided in early summer, after the flowers fade.) Less well-known is the pretty Japanese roof iris (Iris tec- torum), which has flowers in lavender blue or white and tidy, light green leaves. Gladwyn iris (I. fetidissima) is extremely THE ACCOUNTANT (DIG) (R) 12:30, 3:35, 7:00, 10:15 DEEPWATER HORIZON (DIG) (PG-13) 7:40, 10:20 THE GIRL ON THE TRAIN (DIG) (R) 10:35, 1:25, 4:25, 7:20, 10:10 JACK REACHER: NEVER GO BACK (DIG) (PG-13) 10:45, 1:45, 4:35, 7:35, 10:25 KEEPING UP WITH THE JONESES (DIG) (PG-13) 11:05, 1:55, 4:45, 7:25, 10:00 KEVIN HART: WHAT NOW? (DIG) (R) 11:15, 2:05, 4:55, 7:30, 10:00 tolerant of dry soil, and while the flowers are fleeting and rather insignificant, the upright, evergreen foliage is a valuable addition in dry shade gardens, especially if you find the beauti- ful variegated form. Seedpods split in late summer, revealing bright orange-red “berries” within. A few iris bloom in winter or very early spring. Algerian iris (Iris unguicularis) is fabulously fragrant but cold-tender and difficult. A Turkish species, I. lazica, though scentless, looks similar and is easy to grow. The delicate lavender flow- ers appear in February or March, nestled among tidy olive green foliage. Late summer to fall is the best time to divide these two, according to Kelly Dodson at Far Reaches Farm. Lastly, there are many bulb-forming iris species that simply go dormant and vanish after bloom. My favorite is the very reliable and early-blooming Iris reticulata. Buy bulbs now, if you can find them, and plant them right away. Some iris mentioned here can be hard to locate. Far Reaches Farm in Port Townsend, Washington, offers Iris lazica and some Pacific iris. A reliable source for Pacific Coast hybrids, as well as named selections of Oregon iris, is Xera Plants retail shop in Portland (no mail order). They are open Thursday-Sunday, 10 am to 5 pm, through Nov. 6, and should re-open “in early spring to mid-Feb- ruary, weather depending.” Check availability before you go: Greg Shepherd of Xera Plants tells me, “Our best selection of Pacific Coast iris will be from mid- March to late April.” The otherwise excellent website isn’t always up to date, but you can reach them at 503-236-8563. THE MAGNIFICENT SEVEN (DIG) (PG-13) 12:40, 3:45, 7:10, 10:15 MAX STEEL (DIG) (PG-13) 10:15AM MIDDLE SCHOOL: THE WORST YEARS OF MY LIFE (DIG) (PG) 10:55, 1:35, 4:15 MISS PEREGRINE’S HOME FOR PECULIAR CHILDREN (DIG) (PG-13) 10:05, 1:05, 4:05, 7:05, 10:05 STORKS (DIG) (PG) 10:25, 12:50, 3:25, 7:15, 9:50 www.REGmovies.com JACK REACHER: NEVER GO BACK [CC,DV] (PG-13) Fri. - Sat.(115) 415 700 1000 KEEPING UP WITH THE JONESES [CC,DV] (PG-13) Fri. - Sat.(130) 430 715 1005 OUIJA: ORIGIN OF EVIL [CC,DV] (PG-13) eugeneweekly.com • October 20, 2016 35
