Gallegos usually fills iris orders from May
through October. Local visitors may call to schedule a visit beginning the last week of April, so they can see what color iris they are purchas- ing. This year, Gallegos is selling her irises at half price or less, because she is planning to move in the future.
Irises with rhizomes should be planted before
frost, ideally 12-24 inches apart. The rhizomes should be covered with about one inch of soil, because as they multiply they will push them- selves out of the ground, Gallegos says. If the rhizomes are planted farther apart, it will elim- inate the need for frequent thinning later. While some newly-planted irises bloom the
same year they are planted, it is common for new plants to take two years to bloom, Gallegos says. After irises have been planted and wa- tered, the outer leaves may turn brown, but new growth will appear. Once the plant is growing well, remove the brown leaves. Once the plants are established, it’s impor-
tant not to overwater and to keep the garden bed free of weeds. Gallegos picks the faded blooms on her iris plants. Once the plant has finished blooming, she cuts the flower stalk to the ground or an inch above the ground. The reason why she cuts the flower stalk – not the leaves – is because the stalks retain water and can cause the rhizome to rot. The plant’s green leaves are not cut, because they need to grow and produce food for the rhi- zome. Gallegos removes the plant’s leaves after they turn brown.
Iris rhizomes should be divided every three to
four years by either removing the old portion at the center, or digging up the whole clump and replanting the large, newer rhizomes. If Gallegos is moving irises to a new bed, she digs them all up and breaks them apart. She discards the old- er, shriveled rhizomes and replants the newer rhizomes.
Lifelong passion Gallegos inherited her mother’s love of flow-
ers.
When Gallegos was 7 or 8, she remembers picking an entire armful of daffodils, which her mother, Bessie Brady, placed throughout the house. “This was my first experience with flowers,”
Gallegos says. In the 1970s, her mother gave her some irises. “That was my kick start to irises,” Gallegos
says. “She told me, ‘They’re the easiest thing to grow. Put them in the bare ground, step on them, and they will take root.’ And she was right. They’re the easiest thing to grow.”
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LIVING WELL ❚ MARCH/APRIL 2019 ❚ 27
One of Cynthia Gallegos’ bearded irises, Conjuration, is just one of the award-winning irises growing in her garden.
Because irises were easy to grow and she en-
joyed the colors, she started planting more and more of them. In 2008, she began selling irises. Gallegos is interested in learning about how
to hybridize irises, and in the meantime has re- planted iris seeds after bees cross-pollinated the flowers and made different color variations. She unofficially named a yellow iris “Sharon
Faye” in honor of her sister, and a purple one “Sweet Sumayya” after her granddaughter. Her late husband named one “Laughing Tongue,” which features a white standard with mottled purple falls. Gallegos is passionate and dedicated to grow- ing irises and hopes to pass on her love of them to future generations. She loves seeing others appreciate the flowers for their innate beauty. “I see color,” Gallegos says, smiling, looking at her irises. “I love all the different colors.”
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