Asked on Apr 07, 2012

Parts of my front yard are a mess. I need help knowing what to do. Can someone tell me exactly what some of these plants

Louise
by Louise
are? I think I have 3 kinds of lilies but don't know one from the other. They're way overgrown and I suppose need thinning, right? My irises haven't bloomed this year and show no signs of thinking about it. Hate to admit it but I've never fertilized the irises or lilies in all the years since I planted them WAY back when. To make matters worse, last year the county did some digging in my right of way and ignored the fact I had lots of plants there, so I think their tossing and turning the soil made the crowding of these plants even worse. Then there's a small shrub that's finally coming back to life after the new owners of the house next door mowing it down twice last year. Can someone ID It for me? I don't remember what it is, but do want it to stay. I have lots of liriope in among the lilies or whatever they are and will probably remove it since it's so invasive. Anyone want any of it? :-) I'm overwhelmed by all this mess. Where/How should I start to make it look decent? I sorta think I need to thin and reposition lots of these flowers, pull up weeds and wildly growing former grass and put down tree mulch (I have a pile) over the area to neaten it up.
Part of the overgrown, cluttered front yard.
More of the cluttered, overgrown front yard.
Irises that show no signs of blooming. Yes, weeds need to be removed, too.
I think there are 3 kinds of lilies here. Can someone tell me what they are? I know I had day lilies at one time.
One kind of flower. Lilies?
Are these lilies? If so, what kind?
And is this another kind of lily? Or what?
And what is this little shrub?
  15 answers
  • Douglas Hunt Douglas Hunt on Apr 07, 2012
    Louise, I've made some comments on individual photos. It's hard to identify things in the larger photos. I would start by clearing out what you know are weeds. Other things you may have to wait until they are further along to identify and then decide what you are going to do with them. Focus on small, manageable areas at a time to make the task seem less daunting.
  • Diana Diana on Aug 19, 2013
    Louise, first I agree with Douglas you need to get the garden weeded. Then maybe it would give us a better idea, because it looks to me like you need to thin out some of your bulbs but with the weeds I can't commit.
  • Catherine Smith Catherine Smith on Aug 19, 2013
    Agree with Douglas and Diana, get the weeding done first, then it will be easier to see what needs to be divided, etc.
  • Kathleen Kathleen on Aug 20, 2013
    Dig up the Irises, and clean with blech solution, then replant, laying the corms on their side, with routes somewhat buried, but make sure to have about 1/2 the bulb above the dirt. Mulch over winter, but remove mulch in Spring, as they need the sun and air to flower again. Good luck:) Hard to tell what else you have there, but a good clean out will give you a clean palette to start with in the Spring, or plant new bulbs this Fall.
  • Kathleen Kathleen on Aug 20, 2013
    Also, when I have an abundance of bulbs, from separating, I offer some to friends, or replant in small pots ready for sale when the neighborhood garage sale happens in May:)
  • Louise Louise on Aug 20, 2013
    This past spring I gave away some lilies that were growing where they hadn't been invited. I use Freecycle or Craigslist to give away a lot of plants -- and sometimes other things, too. I hate to toss out something that another person might be able to use. :-)
    • Catherine Smith Catherine Smith on Aug 21, 2013
      @Louise darn, wish we lived closer.....LOL I too pass the goodies around when I am dividing my beds. I use sulphur on my iris rhizomes, since we seem to have a problem with both borers and viruses of iris in my area, just gently roll the rhizome around in the sulphur and plant.
  • Jack Franssen Jack Franssen on Dec 20, 2013
    @Louise while weeding dig in a mixture of bone meal and blood meal to feed them that way if you don't get them thinned they might flower
  • Tanya Peterson Felsheim Tanya Peterson Felsheim on Dec 29, 2013
    Just for fun...My mom was given a bunch of regular iris and she placed them on a pile of dirt planning to plant them when she could figure out where...well... things didn't happen as she expected and its kind of funny but the irises bloomed right where she threw them! Its possible the iris are getting crowded out or are planted too deeply (found that out with some of my other bulb plants) but I have thought about getting involved in a "bulb/flower" exchange in the spring. You bring what you have others bring what they have and you swap out and get many more varieties!
  • Sharon Reed Sharon Reed on Dec 30, 2013
    Can you move the Irises to some sun? 3-5 plants in one spot. Get rid of the liriope as it is VERY invasive. Looks like Day lilies #4, have to wait til they bloom to id, and Tiger lilies #3, last pic looks like weeds or a weedy shrub. Not a professional here, just basing on my own experience of years in my own yard.
  • Peggy Donlon Peggy Donlon on Dec 30, 2013
    Irises love to be planted on mounds..they like good drainage...
  • Tanya Peterson Felsheim Tanya Peterson Felsheim on Dec 30, 2013
    Oh and if anyone EVER wants some Yucca plants every single year I get to pull them out of my small garden bed....they are the most invasive thing I have ever seen, at least in my little bed. My mom has grown them for years--letting them get quite large and they make a wonderful hedge hedge from deer out in her area
  • Sharon Sharon on May 12, 2016
    The last little shrub query. Pinch leaf off and smell. It kinda looks like a mint that I have growing everywhere.
  • Wanda sinnema Wanda sinnema on May 12, 2016
    Iris also like to have some of the rhizome peeking out.. if they get covered with mulch they won't bloom.. . If moved they sometimes take a 2nd year for blooms..
  • Wanda sinnema Wanda sinnema on May 12, 2016
    You have 3 KINDS of lilies.. TOP: DAY LILY,,,,, MIDDLE: TIGER LILY,,,,, BOTTOM: ANOTHER type of LILY, may also be another variety of day lily...... I'd weed out the bed.. put a nice sharp cut border,,,,leave the lilies alone.. see what blooms, if you like or not.. easy to divide, move to other parts of the yard in the fall..I use PREEN weed preventer after I weed.. made of CORN really helps keep down the weeds..just scatter around .. keep in mind, it also stops seeds from germinating,, don't use in veg garden until seeds are up..
  • Johnavallance82 Johnavallance82 on Apr 29, 2022

    My advice is to Buy a good A to Z of Plants and join a Garden group, in person or online. There you will find like minded people who will help you with your problem, If they live close enough maybe pop in and identify plants. Label your plants, then you won't forget what they are or where they are. Make a rough sketch layout of garden and draw areas of planting. Hope that helps. If not call in a professional gardener to sort garden for you so you can maintain it.