novice gardener giving in to the BEAUTY of bearded irises

hello, everyone. i'm a novice gardener and joined dg last month. i've always admired IRISES, and it's such a delight to see you post your iris pictures here.

i bought some rhizomes at home depot today, and i am so excited to plant and grow them.

do they do well in pots?

thanks for your time.

Welcome to DG Moonglow! I don't have any experience with them in pots, but I thought I'd say "Howdy!"

Mendy

Welcome, Moonglow!!! You're going to find new passions each week here on DG! I'm not familiar with growing iris in pots, but then again I'm always amazed at what you West Coast folks can grow year-round. One of the warmer climate iris fanciers may have some good input on this. Also, we have recently been blessed with a new iris expert here on DG....Neil. He'll likely be along in the next day or two and have some thoughts on your question.

Just a tip to help you keep your sanity here......make a point to drop in the Dave's Garden Forum every so often as you'll see posts there about new features, how to use features and many will deal with questions you probably will have. That forum is also the best place to go for help with the site. Of course, you can always post just about any place here on DG and get immediate help or direction.

Hope to be seeing you around a lot in The Garden.
Brenda

Welcome to DG, Moonglow! You will love it here. Everyone is very nice and helpful. If you have questions or need help getting around DG, just ask.

As to your question.. I am no Iris expert. I have one kind of Iris that I have grown for a long time and take it with me when I move. I have raised it in the ground and also tubs and large containers. I have several in a large pot out on the patio right now. I put them there a few years ago when they were just wee lil things, and I never got around to moving them before winter. They survived and flourished. I am sure someone who knows a lot more than I will come along soon and be more specific. I just thought I would share my experience with the one I have..

Hope to see you around the Garden...

Blessings, Starr

Moonglow,
I've never planted iris in a pot until a few weeks ago. I found iris on clearance at Wal mart and thought I'd try it. They were pretty dried up! I soaked them in warm water for 24 hours, them planted in large pots. One pot is doing really well, it has 6 fans. The other nothing yet, but the roots are growing. I don't know if they will bloom inside or not. I guess I'll have to wait and see.
Bonnie

Moonglow, we're so glad you are here. Welcome!

To answer your question - -I've grown quite a few in pots over the years. Being potted they tend to need more water and more fertilizer, but will do well. Also - - large pots/large containers (Like Starr mentioned) are best for irises. 5 gallon size pots (or there abouts) are better than smaller size pots. Larger pots will provide the environment to help promote a healthier root system - so the plant can grow, bloom, and increase well for you.

Depending on how dry those rhizomes are, and how long they have been out of the ground - - will depend a lot on whether or not they will bloom for you this spring; if not, they should next spring. Good luck on your venture with irises!! (smiles)

~Margie

hello, everyone! thank you for your posts and for the very warm welcome. so excited to go out there in the yard and plant these future beauties today, but i thought i'd read on some more.

margie and bonnie brought up the dryness factor, thank goodness - - - in case these rhizomes need soaking, too.

my container gardening is a temporary thing: two (2) growing seasons at the most while the cottage/yard is undergoing a remodel. i bought 1 gallon containers, 1 for each rhizome, but will have to get bigger ones then.

here's a picture of what one of the rhizomes look like.

Moonglow,
Your iris look much better then the ones I planted. Mine didn't have any green! Very dry!

Good Luck!

thanks, bonnie. i did soak them for a few hours yesterday and planted them according to package directions. says there "when to plant" zones 8-11: january to march. sounds good to me.

i guess there's a year for starting, and the coming years for enjoying and adding some more. i'm glad i have started.

=)

Welcome Moonglow! (and fellow Californian) In zone 9 I plant mine in the fall. I'll be very interested in what you find as you plant them in the late winter. I'll go look up Corte Madera now and see where you are.

Your tubers aren't moldy and that is a very good thing. Iris are like iron here - they are even hard to give too much water to. Because we don't have a humid climate, they are less likely to rot. So you do have to be careful, especially until the roots are established, to water them. Dry air is good for some things - but not for potted plants. After they are established, you almost can't kill them, except by too much kindness. However, I can grow mine right next to the lawn.

You will see a lot of folks talking about the Iris houses opening. Do you have a treat in store! when you order from specialty iris growers, the tubers come with green leaves attached. They dig them and then immediately send them to you in the late summer. And the web sites are beautiful. See the thread in the Iris forum about them opening that was recently started by margiempv.

You will find that this is a fun community. We do have a lot of fun - in addition to learning a lot.

thanks again for the warm welcome! so much to learn!

btw, here are the names of my home depot bearded irises:

stepping out
cherub's smile
color tart

ran out of pots and off to home depot last night. i could not resist the iris rhizomes they have. at least last night, i looked for the FRESHEST out there. the ones i came home with look like they are about to sprout some leaves.

dover beach
edith wolford

I love Edith Wolford and I looked up Dover beach on the Plantfinder. Very pretty. You're well on your way to an Iris garden. Does Home Depot have any pots left after your trip there? (LOL)

LOL =)

They still have the more expensive kind. Since potting for me is a temporary thing, I buy the cheaper black nursery liners.

I started paying cash though. The people there are starting to memorize my debit card.

Let's take a moment, close our eyes and imagine an ocean of tall bearded irises in bloom.

Yes! It must be spring!!! It's overcast and gloomy here today. Odd for my neck of the woods. But my Magnolia "Galaxy" (dark pink) is beginning to bloom and that's always the first thing to happen here. First the bulb Iris and the daffodills and then the Beardeds. I can see it all now. Although I have about 8 stalks up. They seem to be taking their own sweet time. One of the Sugar Blues got excited and bloomed at the beginning of the month but I couldn't get to it because of the Tulip bulbs coming up. I love that smell. Delicious.

So now, add the scent of fragrant Iris in addition to the sight and it's really heaven.

i love magnolias! will you please post pictures of them when they bloom? pretty please, doss.

merci, merci!

Your wish is my command. "Galaxy" blooms from the top down to the bottom, so here are the first blooms of the season. The tree is about 25 feet tall and 20 years old.

oh, what a BEAUTY! thank you so much for sharing this photo. wow, all blooms, and the foliage go away when this magic happens?

iris update: hubby bought me 6 more rhizomes from home depot. they look better than my finds. baby leaves are sprouting from shoots.

now joining the collection: CAMELOT ROSE.

This message was edited Jan 30, 2005 6:08 PM

No, the foliage emerges when the blossoms are all gone. This is one of my favorite things about this tree. This picture is from today - It will start blooming at the top, continue to the bottom and then get it's leaves for the summer.

Hope that those rhizomes do well for you. I'm off to look up Camelot rose and see what you bought!

Here's the link to "Camelot Rose" taken by Wandasflowers. Thanks Wanda!

http://davesgarden.com/pf/showimage/24139/

Here's the link to my photos. I couldn't quite make it do backflips (or tell you what plant it is magically) but please be sure to ask me any questions you have). To support you in your effort, I've included all the "before" pictures too. I've made it around the back yard pretty well - there is only a little in the front yard - but I'll get that on there too.

http://davesgarden.com/forums/t/482325/

Wowie!!! Thank you very much. This is so ADDICTING. After planting these 6 rhizomes, I'm taking a break...I'll go back painting and wait for these babies to grow...

Just looked at your link--Umm--Can I come live with you??!!

Your yard is wonderful!!

Move on over KE6 - or come visit, you're not very far away. I love to share my garden. It's pretty sad right now. I have a lot of perennials so a lot of it goes away. You could come in May when the Iris are blooming, or in August - Sept when the Dahlias are blooming, or any time between. Maybe you could even help me with some of my problem spots?

I'll keep that in mind!!

We have some plans to visit a couple Gardens this
spring.

I don't go out a whole lot. Never know what my body
will decide to do next!!

The Wild Animal Park is going to have an exhibit in
Feb. for 2 days. I'll have to look it up. I'm thinking
Camelias & the13th & 14th. We still have unlimited
passes to it & the San Diego Zoo, & it's close enough
for a day visit, so we're thinking about going with some
friends.

If we do, I'll take some pics--of course!!

I understand KE6 - I don't travel at all. You've had a virtual tour of my garden anyway and I intend to keep updating the thread as the season goes by. You'll see how my garden grows. And you can give me advice from the photos. I have one spot I'm working on right now by my front walk. But I want to post it in order. I'm almost there. Just leave it on your watch list and we'll chat!

doss, we cross-posted earlier. i just had a virtual tour of your garden. WHAT A DREAM! oh, my...i'm trying not to invite myself over =).

ke6, if you're looking at camelias, don't miss SILVER WAVES. the flowers are white, 6" across and has a YELLOW center (what is that called again?). you mentioned san diego, and now i am HOMESICK. missing my hometown.

Silver waves sounds like something I need. White flowers to brighten up a dark corner are always welcome. "Centers" is good enough for me. I get it. Sounds sunny side up!

You're invited Moonglow. I love to share my garden. I do try to fill it with interesting things - sometimes at the expense of good composition. It feels like somewhere you can put your feet up, as natural as I can make it -and there are a lot of places to put your feet up. My mother's favorite place is up the hill under the walnut tree where you can look down on the garden.

Now if I could travel and visit you all - I would have a lot of fun. Aren't you all glad that I can't travel? You might find me on your doorstap next week if I could do it.. (LOL)

Wild Animal Park update:

Camellias is correct however the dates are Feb. 12th & 13th.

Doss:

Me give you advise!! I don't think so!! This will only be my 2nd yr at
gardening, & I don't know what I'm doing!! Truth be told, it's just about
all I can do to get the things planted. All the fertilizing, etc. is way out
of my ken. I can't remember diddly squat. But I can decide if I like a
particular plant or not, buy it, fumble around for a spot to put it, & God
willing, it'll do OK.

OK, so once in awhile I have a thought pop into my head. I was watching
a thread about theme gardens for awhile & 1 of the suggestions was an
all white garden. Wouldn't that brighten up a dark spot!! Maybe throw in
a little yellow, too, if all white is too boring.

ke6, i'm in a plant craze rigth now, and in a way, it's good that i'm container gardening - - - no landscape plan yet, and our property is a construction zone. hubby tried to stop me, but he gave in. i'm potting something up almost everyday.

what i'm trying to do is have a theme here and there. i have plants for:

1. sunny foliage garden
2. small japanese garden (in shade)
3. dry japanese garden

these are MINI gardens, btw.

i'm sure i can incorporate my IRISES (once they are come out) in the landscape. i'm thinking, instead of an iris bed, they will line the wooden steps up the hill. that, or grace one end of a pond (i have the liner already)

give me a few years =).

Take your time Moonglow. The plants always grow at their own pace anyway. :-).

And KE6 - I always put foliar feed on my plants once a month in the growing season. Don't do high nitrogen on blooming plants and use the acid type for camellias etc. But I find that this is the best for most of my garden. I do feed the bulbs Blooming Bulb in the spring and after bloom. I have not paid particular attention to the Iris - but this year they're getting 6-10-10 this week - along with the daffodils and tulips. (I've learned this from several wonderful Iris folk on DG).

Anyway, the foliar feed cleans all the leaves, never burns the plants, and does a really good job. They say to do it every two weeks - but that's just too often for me. Also I try to avoid feeding over-energetic plants like the Morning Glories. The problem there is keeping them in line!

Sometimes I have to supplement - like adding acid based food to citrus in January - and the Brugmansias get a little yellow then too. So I touch them up at the same time.

I give the Camellias and Azaleas an extra feeding of acid based food just after blooming. (This means after the early winter if it's Sasanquas and in the spring if its the larger (why can't I think of the word) leafed Camellias.The gardenias and ferns are fine with the foliar spray. I think that does it. Bulb food, citrus food, foliar spray ( both acid and not ), and acid camellia and azalea food. Then Sluggo and an environmentally correct foliar spray for mildew. You might want some Ironite too so that you can correct yellowing. If there's not too much yellowing though, I like to use a total fertilizer that has trace nutrients - and you already have that.

And one other thing. Unless you grow seeds, I use pre-emergent in places where I have weed problems - particularly where I grow grasses. Saves a lot of work.

I do stake once a week but I grow things like Dahlias, Clematis and Glads that need staking. And I prune vines once a month during the growing season.

And I use generic Sluggo twice a week during the snail season. It's cheaper at home depot if you don't get the named brand. I have little dogs so I can't use anything stronger. You might not need it so often.

Some people are feeding their blooming plants with alfalfa - I'm going to try that this year with my roses. I'm always up for a new experiment. If it goes well, I'll use more next year.

Once a week I cruise the garden and look out for things like yellow leaves, spider mites, (you'll see the spider webs), aphids, mildew or black spot. Then I can treat it right away and I don't lose too much.

I must admit that I use roundup when I get weeds in the cracks between my pavers. They are impossible any other way.

Guess I've filled up your garden shed now. It's not as complicated as it seems. Start with the foliar spray - acid and one that is balanced - And then one that is low nitrogen for your flowering plants. You'll still need snail bait, and an anti-fungal. Put this into your computer files. It's easier than you think.

Here is one of my favorite white shade plants: Bunnera "Jack Frost". It's new for me but it has performed like a champ - and the snails don't eat it. I'll put in more this spring.

Moonglow, are you going to grow Iris in your pond, or just put them around it? And when you mean "dry" Japanese garden, are you talking about rocks and gravel with a few plants?

doss, you are right, we have to keep these info in the computer. fertilizing is all new to me, like EVERYTHING else.

bunnera "jack frost" is so beautiful. i bet it lights up a spot. i planted three varieties of hostas for the future shade garden. i'll make sketches and take pictures or scan my doodle.

the irises will be just AROUND the pond.

right on with the dry garden. pebble, rocks, and a clump of bamboo.

thank you for taking the time to write. i'm looking forward to enjoying a stroll in my future garden...i always have a pen and notebook to write notes.

This message was edited Jan 31, 2005 11:44 AM

Sounds good - What Hosta's? Nothing lights up the dark garden like the Jack Frost. There's also Ligularia - the spotted leopard version. Snails like it a little but it's worth snailbaiting for.
It's the plant in the very middle of the picture that looks like it has sun spots on it. Not a close up - but you can see how it looks in the dark.

i just planted small divisions of:

big daddy
and these two boxed ones.

wow, another lovely corner of your garden. love ferns, too, for the shade garden. will probably just buy a couple of good sized ones.

thanks for helping me thru this planning and dreaming phase. it means so much to me.

Perfect Hostas for the shade. Japanese painted fern is also very pretty, but small. Are we talking big like holly fern? Or big like tree fern?

about the same size of holly fern, but i do not know the name. i will have to find out when i see it.

do iris ever bloom the first season? some of the rhizomes i planted are showing some growth. tiny green things emerging. LEAVES are good.

Wow! I'm glad that you're seeing green. We can do a spring dance.

Iris regularly bloom the second season from seed so it's very possible that you will have blooms this year.

There are other factors. Iris bloom the first season depends on the health of the rhizomes when you plant them, the weather in your area, the cultivar, and the time you plant them. You have several things going on. Since you are planting now, rather than in the fall, you are less likely to have flowering the first year. The same goes for planting dry rhizomes instead of fresh ones. However, you have the advantage of a great climate and a long growing season. You should also feed your Iris with a 5-10-10 or 6-10-10 fertilizer in the next few weeks. They should be fed about 2 months before bloom(in the next few weeks). Since they are in containers, I would use a water soluble food and then re-feed in the summer a month or two after bloom. If they are rebloomers, definitely do this, and probably again in the fall, since watering containers leaches out nutrients.

Bless those little leaves!

Moonglow--one more idea about iris--the hybridizers have come up with a lot of Rebloomers that are very nice and will make a nice periodic display in a zone 8 or 9 garden throughout the year.

Although periodic reblooming is often not 'guaranteed' for a cultivar, I had mine in large pots on our terraces in Pasadena and it was so nice to see them recurring from time to time rather than just once a year.

I often used rebloomers in combination with pansies and other annuals (which true Iris fanciers might say is a no-no, but it made for a splendid pot garden.

Have fun. ;-) t.

It has been much more than a "couple days," but, Moonglow, I also wish to add my greetings and welcome to the many already expressed above.

After hearing a lot of discussion on another web site about "mart" irises (including both K-Mart, Wal-Mart, and also Home Depot and all the other places like them) I had to buy a few myself to see what I had heard was true.

It was! Irises from such sources are rarely true to name, and often don't even resemble the pictures on the packages.

Even so, you still get some interesting things. I bought "Suspicion," which turned out to be a rather decent red, a white and blue amoena that bloomed a violet plicata and so on. "Batik" at least was a short Broken Color type, and might even be the real thing.

Let me suggest an alternative--already referred to above. Buy your irises from reputable iris growers. You don't have to pay out the $45 or $60 for brand new introductions to get some really good flowers for your garden.

Some examples of many excellent sources with decent prices are Suspicion Gardens in California, Mid-America and Snowpeak in Oregon, Malevil in Texas, Iris Sisters Farm in Nebraska, Rainbow Iris Farm in Iowa. These are just a few among many, many reputable gardens and growers who have true-to-name, well grown stock. Margiempv or others might add to that list of some she has found especially good.

You can also get wonderful irises from others in your area who are iris growers. Nearly all of us have surplus that would go into the compost pile if we didn't have someone around whose appetite we could whet for a passion about our favorite flower. Trades, once you have some good ones, are also an excellent way to build up a collection of good irises.

You might even try your hand at making crosses and raising seedlings! Most of them are either awful or just mud, but in with the "dogs" there are some gems from time to time that are wonderful. That's where new varieties come from, and not only new varieties, but an enormous satisfaction and pleasure at having produced something worthy.

The American Iris Society has a huge reservoir of information, Bulletins, books and on-line information that would undoubtedly be worth your while. Membership in the Society is rather fun! The URL is http://www.irises.org/ .

Neil Mogensen western NC mountains

This message was edited Feb 19, 2005 10:50 AM

thank you all very much for the information! here's an update on my home depot-bought rhizomes. they are all about this size now. this one, planted on a way too small one gallon container when i took this photo earlier. moved to a 3-gallon nursery pot.