Phase II Who has the Biggest Iris Nursery and Catalog

What are the most important Doe's and don't when starting a Iris garden?

How many years do you have to wait to divide iris's?

What other plants would you put with the iris's in the garden? Remember this is a Iris Garden.

1. Get a soil test so you can amend the soil with needed nutrients.

2. PH. Get your ph right for the kind of iris you are planting.

3. For Bearded and Aril Bred, drainage, drainage, drainage.

4. For Japanese, Siberians, Lousianas, water, water, water.

5. For all iris, sun, sun, sun. Full sun is best. At least 6 hours.

As for companion plants, try to get plants that will bloom before and after the iris bloom so you have color all summer. I have lots of other plants. When they get too big or shade my iris too much, they get moved or tossed. I don't know what grows well in your area. You will have to test in your own garden.

These would go great in a Mary's Garden.

If we get a big rain where I was going to plant the Irises water stands for a day or so. But in the spring of the year it gets water logged for about a week. Good or Bad for Bearded Irises?

Not good at all. Fine for siberians & Japanese

I would combine Irises with daylilies. Daylilies begin to bloom in July and blooms longer than Irises. You can have months of blooms with that combination. Also there are daylilies that rebloom.

Below is an idea of how to combine the 2 varieties of plants. Consider the height of each variety. Space between plants can be more, depending on how large your border is.

Edited to add that irises can take 2 seasons to bloom. Daylilies will bloom the following year with clumps growing larger each year. Both need well drained soil. Daylilies are easier to grow than irises.

This message was edited Sep 24, 2009 6:39 PM

I would do a search of how many iris growers/sellers virus daylily growers/sellers there are.

I have some really nice daylilies and do not sell hardy a one...so going out of the business next year on daylilies.

D

Keep a couple for landscaping the house if you don't already. We have some oldies including a spider one which we brought with us in 1972 when we moved from CT. right that we don't buy new ones, however. Are you resting?

Although I am addicted to Irises, I love Daylilies also for their long blooming habit and ease of growth.

Here is my new Daylily from 2008. It bloomed this season. It is 'Radient Greeting'. Love it!!

Dee, I would like to get some of your daylilies. You have some pretty ones. I was planning to do an order this Fall, but other responsibilities got in the way of getting my garden bed ready for them yet. Is Spring a reasonable time to order and plant daylilies?

Spring will be the best now for the daylilies. I will be going out of business on the daylilies as thro larger than most and lower than most I do not like the charge to advertise in the DL book so just going to sell them offl

D

Besides daylilies and Iris, I like to add some lilies to be beds and also some fall blooming plants like mums and Heleniums. I still end up with some annuals to be sure there is always color. I like low growers like Allysum, lantana and verbena to edge the beds. Right now all my color is coming from annuals and mums. Columbines are a nice addition too and reseed. Minature Iris extend the time that you get blooms from Iris. I have really enjoyed them since started to add them 3 years ago.

My Iris seem to need divided about every 3 years or so. It's hard to keep up with them.

Susan

that's ok Dee. Bill Marryott decided the other way, he's doing only DLs! between the two of you, I think you both are smart to stick to just one.

It seems to be a common way to go for many of the growers though, daylilies, iris and hostas. Especially the beardless growers, like Ensata. I guess they all like the same conditions.

But competing in the daylily market has to be tough. As is the hosta market, I would think.

Dee, when I try to look at your daylilies on your site, there are none pictured. I'd love to order some daylilies from you next spring, though!

Angie

Bookerc1,

On Dee's website if you're on the daylily page, look in the lefthand column and click on either photogallery or catalogue page, and you will see the listings and pictures. :)

Thanks, Polly! Not sure how I missed that. I could swear I clicked on those, and was taken to iris pages. :) So many beautiful day lilies!

Angie

You're welcome. She does have a lot of beautiful daylilies (and irises too).

Oh, I've already ordered lots of iris from her, through a co-op here on DG. Wonderful, wonderful iris! I have a wish-list about a mile long for more, too! ^_^

Angie