Miss Kim Lilac

Miss Kim Lilac
Syringa patula 'Miss Kim'

The Miss Kim Lilac is one of the best dwarf lilac shrubs to find space for in your smaller garden landscape plan. The compact, upright, rounded habit is perfect for those less expansive spaces you may be trying to fill. Their very fragrant, light lavender flowers in spring will fill your senses with a most pleasant fragrance for up to two or three weeks dependent on weather conditions. The dark green glossy foliage makes an excellent backdrop to the lavender flowers, and as an added bonus, in fall the foliage becomes a beautiful deep burgundy red.
Miss Kim thrives in full sun, but will tolerate partial shade at the expense of bloom numbers. Well drained soil is best, but this variety will adapt to most soils. Fertilize in early spring with a general purpose fertilizer, then again after blooming to ensure a plentiful bloom for the following spring. This variety, once established, is also drought tolerant. Prune after blooming is finished if you must prune at all, to allow the following spring's blooms to form all summer. Pruning in fall or early spring is not recommended as this will cause you to cut off the flower crop still to come. Miss Kim is also very mildew resistant unlike the common lilac. One final plus to finding a place in your landscape plan for this fragrant beauty is that deer do not seem interested in pruning this shrub for you.

By: Sandy Weinkam
A.J. Rahn Greenhouses

German Bearded Iris

German Bearded Iris

German Bearded Iris are very easy to grow and come in a rainbow of colors. Some are single in color, others are bi color in blues, reds, white, yellows and pinks as well as lavender. They bloom in early spring to early summer, and some re-bloom again in fall. The green and sometimes variegated leaves are strap like and arrayed in a fan shape clump. Heights range from 10" up to 30".
Iris prefer full sun and well drained soil, and fertilization in early spring and again after blooming. A balanced all purpose fertilizer is more than adequate for these carefree plants. When these prolific perennials become too dense, usually every two to three years, they will greatly benefit from thinning. They grow and multiply from underground rhizomes(stems) which can be divided and then planted elsewhere or shared with other gardeners. When replanting, be sure not to plant them too deep, leaving the rhizome barely showing at ground level. Cut the foliage back by 1/3 before replanting so the plant is not top heavy and susceptible to wind or weather pulling them out of the ground until new roots are established.
One of the best qualities of this perennial plant besides being so carefree is that it is deer resistant! With the deer population explosion everywhere, it is becoming more and more difficult to find plants they will not decimate. So enjoy this beautiful spring flowering plant in all its colorful hues, and then in three years share it with others or create another eye catching bed for yourself!

By: Sandy Weinkam
A.J. Rahn Greenhouses