"Filling in between iris" - or help deter the dog

I know that you are not supposed to use mulch or plant other plants too close to iris as they draw nutrients away. But, any suggestions as to what I can use to help fill in between the plants to help deter my boxer from thinking it's just a cool new obstacle course I've devised for him? Our truce allows him anything that is still dirt or grass. One of his nicknames is 'Rhino' - coming from his love of plowing through foliage/underbrush/other dogs/you name it. The other nickname is 'Mud Puddle' - so ponds or water-type features are out unless I plan on enough room for him to crash through (the only real way to enjoy a puddle apparently; one then lies in the puddles, usually on one's back).

Thanks for any suggestions!

Daylilies. Ideally, the Iris should be higher than the daylilies so that the Iris don't sit in water and so the daylilies drink the water.

Thank you!

(I feel like someone should give me one of those V8 forehead smacks.)

Thanks for this question. Although I do not have the dog problem I was wondering what I could put in with my iris to fill in some of the spaces. We have a dog who has that problem with water though. She gets into her own water dish!!

I had some periwinkle with a few iris in the raised part of the garden in our back where there is only partial afternoon sun, but for the areas in the front with full sun, well, they looked especially barren with empty space - not to mention the invitation for my dog to slalom in between.

Ours prefers his water 'enriched' - the muddier, the better.

Our dog Dory just want water. Irrigate the front yard and she goes crazy. I have had to rescue her from the irrigation canal at least 10 times since she was left with us!!

Oh no, that does not sound like fun at all.

I have a good friend who is looking to buy a new house with a pool - not for her or her family, but for her bloodhound. : )

Lol ours probably wish we would buy a pool for her!

marie --- word of warning --- the bearded iris multiply like crazy here, I planted my first ones 2 years ago in with daylilies.....this fall the daylilies are all coming out of the raised bed, the iris have filled in and are pushing all other plants out of their way - so I would advise against planting any perennnials in among your iris......

Thanks audrey

Remember, the next season's iris bloomstalks will come from this yrs increases, so they must have room to grow. If spaces still seem too much to you, plant some annuals which can be pulled as spaces decrease. Unfortuneately weeds seem to be good filler, we keep at them usually grass & sorrel.

Thanks I was thinking I would just fill in with annuals after Audrey's post.

I scattered cosmos seed the first year Marie......that really worked out well!

Yep I was thinking wildflowers this fall

This message was edited Jul 16, 2008 5:57 PM

Coreopsis and sedum are 2 more that work for me.
Both fill in and put on a show after irises are done, the foliage compliments the iris, they are easy to trim back when crowding sets in, and they don't need a lot of water, so I don't have to worry about the iris getting too wet.

Oh thanks, I have coreopsis that I can move to fill in.

I've grown lettuce before, just sprinkled seeds. They have shallow roots, are shorter than the iris, are an annual, drink up excess water and I pick and eat to maintain growth.

Another suggestion - and it would feed the wild rabbits. (Have to do something for the dogs terrifying them all the time when they try to play with them - no harm intended.) Thanks!

I don't have a dog problem but wanted something to bloom after the Irises were done. For the last 3 years, I have Irises planted with floribunda roses. About the time the Irises have finished blooming, the roses take over. Mine bloom all summer.

I used to have two dogs (water spaniels) that of course loved water.

What I did was to buy seeds of annuals and scatter them all over the bed about 3 weeks before the iris stopped there show, about the time they were over and the foliage was getting a little tired, the foliage of the annuals covered them enough and the flower show was outstanging

In a new bed this year where I took out 80 roses (leaf spot and deer and no time to care), I made this is into an aril iris bed, in the very middle is an obslist (sP) for my sweetpeas and morning glories, on each end is a crape myrtle and the edge are dutch iris, then I bought 1/2# of larkspur and scattered those on top of the dutch and it was a supper show, should have scattered some later low growing annuals as well so this year going to mix the seed.

D

Thanks! Larkspur is quite pretty...

what about petunia .they are my favorite annual and they can tolerate dryness they get long by the end of summer and would add another level of color

You know, I think I may have to buy more iris so I have more space that needs filling - thanks to all of these great ideas. : )