We have found the rainbow connection.

It’s not every week you have an amazing rainbow arching over your house.

 

And it’s certainly not every week you have a second, hyper-intense, hot pink rainbow bonanza emerging from your chimney.

 

OHMYGARDEN, look at that…double rainbows in one week!!! What does this meeeeaaaan?!?!? Auuuuuggghhhhhh!!!

But before we lose our minds about it, there is a way to make sense of it. After all, from a horticultural and etymological sense, the answer is quite obvious. Clearly the irises in the yard [i.e. iris (the plant), from the Greek “rainbow”] are fussed that they have never had a spotlight within my few (but effusive) postings.

Indeed, there is simply no other explanation than the fact that these irises are finding extreme methods to demand attention. As much as I am tempted to resist the jaw-dropping tantrums of these rhizomatous malcontents (I demand MORE rainbows!), I can’t help but give in.

You see, I have a soft spot for my backyard irises, primarily because I only saw but one bloom (for but one minute!) before departing for St. Croix in late May. Upon my return, their flowering time had passed…ending all-too-early due to an unforgiving combination of extreme heat and recent planting.

But my iPhone and I did get to enjoy this fine bearded fellow below before racing to the airport.

When I purchased this gentlemen and two of his like-minded friends (who have since begun to multiply further (not that there’s anything wrong with that)), I was looking to bring more orange tones into the yard. Once his dark rust demeanor emerged, I’ll confess he wasn’t exactly what I hoped for from the flowerpot description…but he was bold and masculine and seemed like maybe he could help out with the shoveling.

Driving around today and dreaming of next spring’s blooms, a thought suddenly popped to mind: if even a solo iris seemed awfully rusty, the full collection next spring might not be too inspiring…not to anyone but a mechanic or plumber dreaming of his next lucrative gig. With that lackluster musing, a decision was instantly made. Many irises of multiple colors MUST be planted next year! I shall balance out the rust with a full spectrum of reds, and yellows, and blues and violets, with beautiful greenery as a base. Yes! Yes! Yes! All the colors, all the glory! A veritable rainbow of irises!

OHMYGARDEN. Did I just say…rainbow?!?!?!

The irises…THE IRISES…they’re controlling my mind…and (gasp) they’re winning. When and where will they stop? Is this just the beginning…?

My apologies, dear readers, please excuse me while I run to wrap my head in iris-mind-control-protective tinfoil. Hmmm, and while I’m at it, maybe I’ll try to grow a beard…