Irises: Irises in SE Alabama?, 0 by BamaBelle

BamaBelle wrote:
I used to live in NW Florida and, as a rule, most Irises don't do well down there...possibly because of the sandy soil. Now I am living in SE Alabama with clay soil.....and I'm wondering if anyone knows if Irises will do well here? We have very acidic soil (as evidenced by the world reknowned tomatoes this area produces), so I don't know if that will affect them or not. My sis in NW FL has some luck with Dutch Irises and better luck with the Louisiana Irises due to the boggy conditions of her back yard (especially around her water garden). She also brought me a Walking Iris that I am trying out. But I have always had a thing for Bearded Irises. In fact, I had them in all the bouquets at my wedding (my attendants carried long stems of Irises and my bridal bouquet was mostly Irises). Plus, for my wedding invitations I painted a picture of a Bearded Iris...although I never got around to sending them out...ooops! My ex MIL had Bearded Irises growing like wildfire in her yard in south central MS. So, I'm thinking that except for the acidity in the soil here, the climate and soil are very similar. So, does anyone in this area (near Dothan) grow irises? Can you guys give me any tips on growing them? I figure you guys seem to really know what you are doing based on the pics you have been posting. Here is a pic of the picture I painted for my now defunct wedding invitations.