An Iowa Garden

This time of year, when the rose bushes are so weighted down with flowers, they reach the ground, and the catbird is singing in his tree so enthusiastically, I fear he'll burst, it's hard sometimes to get me out of the garden. However two words will have me packing the cooler in a flash... GARDEN TOUR! As we drive through the countryside, Liz loves to stick her head out the window, and yell "Here Bossy" at the cows, but even she was on good behavior today, as we were going to the big city to see our friend Wanda's garden for the first time, when the iris are blooming... so we drove right past Shueyville, and right by the siren lure of the cowboy bar in Swisher, and into town. I guess Wanda wasn't sure we were going to be able to find her place in the city, as she gave me instructions over the phone, then e-mailed me a map, then for good measure she was out front in the driveway when we pulled up. Not to worry... as we rounded the corner there were typical suburban lawns sporting a couple of arborvitae as far as the eye could see, and then there was Wanda's place... flowers everywhere, with a rainbow of iris in full bloom. I decided maybe she wasn't out front waiting for us, but instead eyeing the street to see if she could plop some pots of flowers there, as there wasn't much room left in her yard! I took some pictures, which follow; I have a pretty good memory, so didn't think I'd need to take notes, but after looking at about the jillionth iris, I just gave up on names. We also got to see where various roofs and porches had landed during the tornado that went through her back yard a year or so ago (I noticed she didn't seem too heartbroken over the trees she had lost... more sun for planting iris