A trainee in the garden.

My conscience gnaws, it's the beginning of September and I still have not divided the bearded irises. Luckily help comes from an unexpected source. My younger daughter will be in Zeeland for a few days. She would love to help me in the garden.

How I know the bearded irises should be divided? It's really very simple. These irises are visible from the roadside. As long as the people passing by cry, oh and ah and get off their bikes to take pictures of the irises, I know they are just fine. But if the bikers simply pass by it's time to take action. The Irises really have to be divided!

First of all, the whole area should be stripped clean. Then my “trainee” brings in the compost by wheelbarrow and we work it over it in the flowerbed. With two pair of hands this works really quickly.

Then we break the young parts of the bearded iris. The leaves have to be shortened in order to prevent evaporation. The remainders of the old irises are binned.

Subsequently we replant the flowerbed. Mind you the rhizomes need to stay above ground level. Finally the irises are watered and after that never again, because they love it sunny, dry and hot!

My trainee is still in for another job, so we pick the pears. Still not exhausted we decide to divide the Kalimeris in the backyard. Whilst - after replanting - I water the Kalimeris, my daughter quickly mows the lawn. Just before a severe rain shower breaks loose, we are ready!

Gardening is fun. But with a trainee in the garden ....... it is twice the fun!

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Bearded Irises, not really overwhelming. 

The flowered before...

We have forked out all the Irises. 

My trainee brings in the compost.

Here she is leveling the surface.

We break of the young rhizomes.

The leaves have to be shortened in order to prevent evaporation. 

We have many many many young plants!

The rhizomes have to be above ground level.

Finished! The flowerbed with bearded Irises.

My trainee wanted some plants, for Guerrilla gardening!

Thanks for hosting Hakan