Secret Iris Trade?

Stay with us Eglantyne. Remember, I already some yellow beardeds ear-marked for you that are un-named, so far.

Hi YTRN ,
yes I love games..but no honestly since I am new I just wanted to make sure I am doing everything correctly .
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Hi woodspirit,
Yes I remember ...I make a folder for every trade so I have a record to remind me..LOL
Have a great sunday everyone,need to go dig some BIG holes for a couple of trees.
Anybody want to help ? free room and board ....hahaha,
TTYL,
Brigitte

I really am looking for suggestions. I have dozens of iris. Possibly several hundred. We've been here for 3 years (this is our 4th gardening season.) Because of drought and time (I could move them all to one spot and water and feed just there) I haven't been able to nurture the blooms out of them. I've come up with three types that have come up without too much nurturing. And, I don't know what these iris are. I'd love to get more perenials, rhizomes, bulbs etc. But, I'm not sure how to present a trade. Any ideas?
kokopellita

Eglantyne... throw in a plane ticket and I'll help!! lol

I would like to be in also, I only have one that I am sure of its name, but plenty of other beautifull ones. please include me.
Carol

I'm new to DG but would love to participate, only ones I have are un-named.

Change of plans. Might possible have to have back surgery.

SORRY

Maxine

Uh oh! ((((Maxine)))) Hope all is well...

I'm new to DB also. And have some gardening experience, but am very into the bearded lovelies. I have none, but WANT many, so I'll play accordingly.

I'm expecially in love with those deep blue ones.

First of all, welcome to DG, gardn and grandmahad_1! We'd love to have you join in the fun.

Gardn, if you don't have any irises, you'll need to get some to trade. See if you can go on the plant trader forum and write a note requesting irises for plants that you already have. People are usually very generous, so you may get two or more fans. That way you can plant one and trade one of the same iris.

Another way is to buy irises from your local nursery, making sure there are more than one fan in each pot. Split them up and you'll have named irises to trade for sure.

We won't do this trade until the last week in July, so you have plenty of time. We'd love to have you join us!

Please count me in on the un named and named, both! I am always looking for more Iris for my garden.

When we moved here, we discovered we have one that grows in almost total shade, and it is very early, and smells like rootbeer!

What a delight.

I just love these guys.

If anyone has Wabash to trade, I would be so thrilled. It was my father's favorite and I'd treasure it always.

Thanks for letting me be included.

Janie Joy

In about 3 weeks I'll start a few new threads. One will be for Named Secret Iris Trades, one will be for Unnamed Secret Iris Trades, and one will be for Iris Preferences. Everyone can join either or both trades. The "Preferences" will be for folks to let everyone know what they want ("Lots of bi-colors, for example), what they don't want ("No yellow flag irises"), or anything else. We want everyone to participate and enjoy!

Hello Pins!!!!!!!!!Oh, you can count me in, this sounds fun....

Oooh! I've got my shovel--just let me know when we start!
Named or unnamed--I've got plenty of both to share.

I'll join. I've placed some rather large orders for iris to arrive in July. I suppose it's ok to send some of those if I desire in addition to some from my garden?

Don't tease Langbr!!

Tina ;)

Langbr, it's not only allright, but you just tell us when your order arrives and we'll schedule the trade around you, okay? heeheehee

pins2006..You are too much .....:-)))....hey hey WHAT a great Idea,
Brigitte

"sometime" in July! LOL!

Naw...really do you guys do like me.....go shopping online for things like Iris & DL and find yourself buying 3, 4 or 5 fans of the same thing??? I do. I don't know why I buy all those extras....guess 'cuz I really like those varieties. I usually end up sharing with Mom or my sister.

I like 2-3 fans of the same color to start a clump. Iowa cold winters & wet springs are hard on the roots. Multiples ensure survival in my beds

Wanda,
that is what I was thinking too...I am even colder than You Zone 4 b,
Brigitte

Well, you have to add the really wet & unpredictable weather of Spring & the hot dry summers. It can really stress a plant out!

I know we're getting closer to our trade, but I wanted to put in a word here about what happened to me yesterday. I was involved in a trade involving my getting irises on a "sharp" gardening site that will remain nameless. I got the box yesterday and it had 15 iris rhizomes in it. I should have been thrilled, right? Well, let me tell you that those rhizomes are the most dried up, shriveled, things I've ever seen. Some of them had maybe an inch of green, but it was in the center leaves, while the outer leaves (if there were any leaves at all) were all dried up. Plus, there was no name on any of the plants (she sent 2 cacti as a "bonus"), not even a color.

All that to say, first, don't dig up your irises now. Wait until right before you send them. Plus, it would be a good idea for newbies to wait until you get your package first. That way you can see how to pack up your babies so they'll be at their freshest. I'll try my best not to put two newbies together, but my 16 year old daughter will be doing the picking of names from the bowl. I just may have to do a bit of tweeking.

Getting down off my soapbox now.

I would love to be in on this trade too, if it's not too late to put in my name. I will have to be in the unamed trade since I only have two varieties and they are both unamed. I just joined DG a couple weeks ago and am a very amature gardener, but somehow my plants manage to survive. :-) I will have to wait to send mine to see how they need to be packaged. Please count me in! Thanks!

mgh--WELCOME!!! You're gonna love DG - the info, the friends, the comraderie. Be sure to visit all the forums over time so you can find just the right groups that spark your interest. And...don't ever hesitate to ask...DG'ers are some of the friendliest and most helpful people you're ever gonna meet! Brenda

Can you believe I just read about this trade.
Boy you sure have a great response and I would love to join in for my first trade. I'll watch now for sign up info, right? Donna

Thanks for the welcome Brenda! I originally joined to ask a question about flowerbeds at the base of trees, it hasn't been aswered yet, but I sure have found quite a few friends in the iris forum and I'm looking forward to the exchange! Thanks so much! Mendy

Welcome mgh....Have not read Your question about planting around Trees.
But I have had a Daylily Flowerbed around my 150 Year old Maple Tree for Years and they are all doing fine.I BUILD the bed and surrounded to Bed by scalloped Stones.All of my DL have Buds right now even though I think I will move them to a sunnier Spot after they bloom this Year.
Hope this helps,
Brigitte

Maybe we can post a list of how to ship Iris. These are some things I've appreciated in the past:

Select roots that have not bloomed yet, but large as possible.
Cut down to 5-6 inches tall
Soak in a 1:9 solution of bleach for 20 minutes, rinse & let dry
Write the name of the cultivar (or color if unnamed ) on the fan itself to avoid confusion. (felt tip pen?)
Pack wrapped in paper or dry materials.

What do you think?

Wanda, I like your instructions. The only thing I'm questioning is the selecting rhisomes that haven't bloomed yet. I have a couple that bloomed in April, but the flower spikes are already gone. Wouldn't those be good to send? Those are the ones that I know the colors of! lol

Also, what does everyone think about not sending rhisomes that have the little weevil holes in them? They look so bad. I know that if we soak them in bleach that the weevils will be killed. What's your opinion?

Rhizomes that have bloomed won't bloom again, though they might have babies. Maybe you could send it with the new developing roots intact. The babies would just take an extra year to bloom.

This has been such a wet year year that we probably all have blemishes on our roots. If we use the bleach, will that kill any eggs? I don't know. Any experts listening?

Ok - side note here Wanda! When I dig up a rhizome, the center most bulb is the "mama" and if there are any little ones attached to it - that's the babies? Want to get it right you know.

I've never used bleach, but I do dip them in fungicide before I plant them - seems to work. Except this year with all this rain, mine are looking pretty ratty right now........

The center bulb is the "mama" with babies attached. She most likely bloomed this year...

Count me in for the un-named. Thanks!

Me, too!

I think the one that bloomed usually has TWO babies, one on each side, that should bloom in the spring.

The holes are probably Iris borers, not weevils? Not a good thing, should be cut out entirely, leaving only healthy rhizome.

The leaves will probably turn brown from being disturbed, but will soon be replaced with new ones.

I like to cut back to about 8", in a "fan" shape.

Writing the name on the leaf itself works great.

mgh, I have a hosta garden under a huge old maple, and it works fine. I do need to dig them up now and then and remove lots of the tree's feeder roots as they invade the hostas soil. Mounding up does help to some extent, as does burying plants in containers-- my astilbe, for example, just need a nice moist rootrun, and this is the only way they tolerate the competition. The hostas are more cooperative. But, I dig them often for trades, then give the parent plant a nice deep new hole and some fresh soil. Other plants for dry shade would be Epimediums.

Pardancanda,

Thanks for the idea of what to plant. I'm sure I bought the wrong flowers for the space as they say "sun to part shade". The space does get some sun during the day, but probably not enough. I'm a very amature gardener and don't always think of things like that! :-} If these plants don't make it, I'll find something that doesn't require as much shade. I did get one bed done and I'll post a photo of it tomorrow.

Thanks,
mgh

PS. The Pardancanda you have on your page is beautiful!

Sign up is on the Plant Trading Forum. Be sure and sign for the Secret Iris Trade (named and unnamed) and for the Want and Don't Want thread so your secret person will have an idea of what to send that you'll love!

Happy Trading!!

Pins- I can't do it apparently since we just put our iris in last year. Sorry. But maybe next year.

I'm planning to participate. I sent you an email, pins. Now how do I sign for the want/don't want thread?