Ah, the smell of iris in the morning

It was, according to MPR, the third-driest May in recorded history for our area. That means that some areas of the garden are looking a little stunted: the hydrangea are small, astilbe are struggling, and even some of the weeds look a little anemic. The south lawn is already browning.

However, the iris seem to love the dry, mostly cool weather. We've got varieties blooming this year that we haven't seen in years. Vanity has buds! So does Black Tie Affair. This is even more surprising when you consider that the spring got away from me this year and I never fed/fertilized the yard.

So, first pics of this year's lovely iris display: