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What about iris?

#61
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3/5/10 at 5:38am
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Mrseedy, that is good thinking!  It seems that I'm in a good place for Iris, even living north east in upper NY.  My iris have not had a problem, and it is a very common garden flower here....there are so many people in my area that grow beautiful iris.  Doing a trade with someone, it wouldn't really occur to me that I might be bringing it in to my beds...something to think about. ....  or like said, maybe it just can't survive in some places....  It would be interesting to find out why some areas have such a problem with them and others don't.

I get the little leaf borers in my columbine each year .... but they don't cause real problems....  but I wonder what the difference is? 

Anyway, brings out a lot of questions.


Beautiful iris pics everyone!!  I love the yellow and the white ones.

1 fresh organic flower in your yard is better than 100 ridden in chemicals

Natalie - Zone 5

 

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#62
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3/5/10 at 8:33am
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Boo, thanks for the Wildwood Gardens!  Too bad they are not in Canada.

I hope Spuria Iris becomes more popular. 
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#63
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3/5/10 at 8:36am
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  • Location: Quad Cities Zone 5
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I'll be on the lookout for more places.
boo
Live well, laugh hard and dig up your yard.
My Blog: ~~ QC Garden ~~ Do you have a garden blog? Become a Blossom Swap link partner: Swap Links.
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#64
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3/5/10 at 4:18pm
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Botanus and Veseys are both Canadian and have a decent selection of bulbs and Iris. My catalogs have drool marks all over them.


We might be able to do a Iris swap once the ground thaws. Right now all I have is a box full of seeds.

Happiness held is the seed; happiness shared is the flower

Alberta Sage
Zone 3

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#65
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3/5/10 at 4:29pm
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  • Location: Ontario, Canada, Cdn Zone 5a (USDA Zone 4a)
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Except Vesey's bulbs are pathetic. I don't know how many times I've got credit notes from them, only to get more plants or bulbs that die. Breck's Canada used to be good but aren't that good anymore, selection wise or the health of the bulbs.  Botanus is great.  And so is Lilies in the Valley.  They now have iris and hostas too.
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#66
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3/5/10 at 4:48pm
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  • Location: Ontario, Canada, Zone 4B
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It's only about an hour and a half away from me and I keep promising myself that I will go up there. Howerver, it's all rural road after the first half hour's drive so that kind of puts me off.
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#67
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3/5/10 at 4:56pm
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  • Location: Ontario, Canada, Cdn Zone 5a (USDA Zone 4a)
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Ceara, I just read your post about the  Spuria Iris.  Hortico in Canada has a couple of them . 
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#68
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3/6/10 at 5:17am
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  • Location: Zone 6 Northeast NJ
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I'm partial to Bearded Iris but am thinking about getting Dwarf Crested Iris for the mini garden.  Has anyone grown it?   

Zone 6 - Northeastern New Jersey

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#69
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3/6/10 at 5:55am
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I haven't, Jerseygirl, but I've always wanted to.  Iris cristata. They look so pretty in a little drift.  And in some gardens, they look blue.  They'd be purple in mine, no doubt.
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#70
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3/6/10 at 7:13am
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I have some miniature iris in my garden although I'm not sure of their name.  I'm not sure where they even came from.   Did someone give them to me on here?  Where am I? <--- ok we need our smilies back because its like having mismatched silverware.   These little guys don't go with our other smiles.. .  It's like the invasion of the dinky, soulless heads.  They don't even have pupils.

 

Um, yes the miniature iris are very cute but mine are slow to multiply, but very adorable in the mini garden.

boo
Live well, laugh hard and dig up your yard.
My Blog: ~~ QC Garden ~~ Do you have a garden blog? Become a Blossom Swap link partner: Swap Links.
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#71
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3/6/10 at 7:19am
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Quote:
Originally Posted by boo View Post

  <--- ok we need our smilies back because its like having mismatched silverware.   These little guys don't go with our other smiles.. .  It's like the invasion of the dinky, soulless heads.  They don't even have pupils.



oh good..I'm not alone on that one.  ....  Boo, you're very talented at straying off the topic and then finding it again, I must say.

I believe that one of the iris I put in over the fall was a mini variegated....hmmm...we'll have to see, because I don't fully remember. 

1 fresh organic flower in your yard is better than 100 ridden in chemicals

Natalie - Zone 5

 

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#72
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3/6/10 at 8:52am
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  • Location: Zone 6 Northeast NJ
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oh, what the heck - I'm gonna buy them.  Once I get a plant in my head, I have to have it.  I suppose there are worse addictions.

Zone 6 - Northeastern New Jersey

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#73
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3/6/10 at 9:51am
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I have some small ones or I had some small ones.  I do not know if they got dug up or not.  They bloomed with the Spring bulbs.   I remember it took them a long time to start blooming after I got them.  I seem to remember it was 2 years before I saw a bloom.


Do what you can where you are with what you have.
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#74
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3/6/10 at 11:03am
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There you go, Jersey Girl!  Good thinking!! 

That is how we do things here.

1 fresh organic flower in your yard is better than 100 ridden in chemicals

Natalie - Zone 5

 

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#75
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3/6/10 at 6:02pm
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  • Location: Cabin Creek WVA
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I have 7 colors of iris I planted last summer, here's a couple, the blue and white is a houseplant, walking iris, the last 2 are in the front yard. The yellow is a rebloomer. I also have the "black" iris, edith wolford, and not sure about the others, hopefully they will bloom this spring.

Iris (32).jpg

iris rebloomer.JPG

iris batik (1).jpg

"Never ever give up your dreams, even when they're doused with sorrow,
because even though they seem far away, they could come true tomorrow"
 

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#76
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3/6/10 at 6:03pm
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I LOVE the gigantic iris blooms, i've seen huge pink ones that have a peachy smell, and yellows with a lemon-kinda smell. German bearded iris are beautiful.

"Never ever give up your dreams, even when they're doused with sorrow,
because even though they seem far away, they could come true tomorrow"
 

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#77
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3/6/10 at 8:40pm
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  • Location: Devon, England
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I've been looking at what Spuria iris are available here, might have to get some, as for some reason, bearded ones don't seem to do too well here, could be all the rain we get
http://community.webshots.com/user/grindle111

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#78
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3/6/10 at 8:55pm
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What is a spuria iris?

"Never ever give up your dreams, even when they're doused with sorrow,
because even though they seem far away, they could come true tomorrow"
 

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#79
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3/6/10 at 9:17pm
  • Joined: November 2003
  • Location: Devon, England
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  Welcome to

SIS

a section of the American
Iris Society
(AIS)

Chocolate Fudge, Spuria
Dave Niswonger '1988

  
Spurias will grow and bloom well in most areas of the country. Most modern hybrids are descendants of species found in Southern Europe and east throughout Afghanistan. Modern hybrids are respected for their ease of growth and enormous size. Their exquisite flowers are highly sought by both florists and arrangers.

a clip from the American Iris Society
http://community.webshots.com/user/grindle111

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#80
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3/7/10 at 7:33am
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  • Location: Ontario, Canada, Cdn Zone 5a (USDA Zone 4a)
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They're a beardless iris that don't need dividing often and are supposed to be prolific bloomers with bigger blooms than other beardless iris and longer bloom time.  I want them because they're supposed to have stronger stalks for windy areas, which is what I have here.  Some of the colours are unusual too.

Quote:

Not only does spuria produce larger flowers than Dutch types, it produces more of them: three to four buds per stalk is typical; seven is possible. And spuria's stalks are taller (3 to 5 feet) and stronger than their Dutch cousins, so they're better able to resist wind and rain.
 

This all adds up to quite a show that lasts for several weeks.


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#81
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3/7/10 at 9:32am
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I wonder if that's what I have. I always have at least four buds on one stalk and they stand up to the weather. I'll have to pay close attention to them when they bloom. I got them nameless from a farmer's market.
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#82
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3/7/10 at 10:41am
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Would you have a picture of them, Sash? 
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#83
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3/7/10 at 2:32pm
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  • Location: Erie, PA
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I think my favorite iris is a crisp white Japanese variety - but it is a close tie with a deep purple bearded iris.  I had an outbreak of iris borers about 5 years ago, but got it under control.  I don't use chemicals, so the key is to interrupt the life cycle of the insect.  I dug up the infected clumps at a time the bugs were still in the pupa stage, in the soil, and not yet turned to a moth.  Then I sifted through the soil to find those buggers and squash them.  Gross but affective.  I also clean up the foilage in late fall, after several hard frosts.  I either burn the leaves or put them in the garbage, to prevent any moth eggs from hatching the next year.  This has worked for me.  I'll try to post some photos of my favorites.

Regarding ratty foilage that dies back, I think the variety of iris has some bearing on this.  I have some where the foilage stays nice all year, and others that do get ratty.  I try to plant the iris in the centers or backs of beds to hide potential ratty-ness.

I'll try to post some pictures of my favorite varieties.
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#84
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3/7/10 at 2:41pm
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  • Location: Erie, PA
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Gardens 5-27-06 to 6-26-06 013.jpghere are some of my favorite iris
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#85
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3/7/10 at 2:46pm
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  • Location: Erie, PA
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Gardens 5-27-06 to 6-26-06 028.jpg
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#86
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3/7/10 at 2:49pm
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  • Location: Southern Alberta, Canada -Chinook zone
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         Oh my Thats a lovely purple    Thanks For Sharing

 The blue too!

Happiness held is the seed; happiness shared is the flower

Alberta Sage
Zone 3

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#87
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3/7/10 at 2:55pm
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  • Location: Erie, PA
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Gardens 5-27-06 to 6-26-06 107.jpg
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#88
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3/7/10 at 2:56pm
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Oh my goodness those are beautiful .Look's like you could reach in the screen and touch them.I know your proud to show those off.Thank you for sharing with us.

Miracles happen everyday, change your perception of what a miracle is and you'll see them all around you.

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#89
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3/7/10 at 3:02pm
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  • Location: Erie, PA
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Gardens 2007 008.jpg
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#90
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3/7/10 at 3:10pm
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  • Location: Erie, PA
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thanks for the compliments.  I do love my irises - wish they had a longer bloom time.  I have a few rebloomers, but they don't tend to be as flashy as the varieties that only bloom in the spring.  I would need to sit down and count, but I know I have at least 25 varieties.  One mini, one dwarf, two siberian, one japanese, and all the rest are the tall bearded irs.
Edited by DigginIt - 3/7/10 at 3:40pm
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