All that gorgeous 80-degree weather that we were, um, NOT gloating about last week, has turned to lovely, lovely rain, which is exactly what the gardens need right now. One of the stand-up, stand-out bloomers pretty much year-round here in USDA zone 9-10 is Aristea inequalis.
This incredibly tough South African Iris relative is planted in a 12″ parking strip in front of Annie’s house. There’s nice soil for maybe about 4″ and then it hits hardpan. In the rainy season, there’s a culvert up the street that often overflows, sending a river of water right past this guy and eroding all of the soil around it. Does it care? It does not.
In fact, each year it seems to get bloomier and bloomier, with a tidy 3′ x 3′ foliage clump that never needs cutting back. It’s the plant we most recommend to beginning gardeners because it’s virtually indestructable! Bonus points for being hardy to USDA zone 8 and clay, heat and drought tolerant! Oh, AND deer resistant!
Thank you Aristea inequalis! And thank you to Carol at May Dreams Gardens for hosting Garden Bloggers Bloom Day! See what’s blooming on other folks’ gardens this February!
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