Irises: Divide to Multiply

Here's one big clump of irises from the bed in front of Grace Episcopal Church.

The challenge: Untangle all these roots.

Here are all the separate plants, untangled.

Four wheel barrows-full of irises, seen here with tops trimmed and roots clipped.

The finished product, divided by size and ready for re-planting. In three to five years, it's the same routine all over again when the rootstocks fill in.

--Bernice Paglia