planning a new bed: suggestions??

I'm busy planning a new bed for next year (I'm a slow thinker) mostly blues; with an emphasis on neglectas and plicatas; interrupted here and there with white, clear yellow and pinks as well as bitones of these colours with blue ( I mean, blue and white, blue & pink...etc)

Realizing this is a pretty wide open field; I'm also limiting myself to plants that looked balanced to me -- that is, not too enormous top or bottom, and I'm letting fragrance and rebloom have their due weight . Luckily I dislike TOO much ruffling or lace and don't like SA; but still there are definitely one or two irises to choose from:)

Different things do well here on the coast of BC than for you lucky people where the summer really bakes the soil, but still -- any suggestions anyone???

Welcome!

You're asking for recommendations for cultivars? You love Neglecta's and Plicatas, not too much froo froo, no space agers. (although you're missing some really nice cultivars here).

October Sky (below) meets some of your requirements - Neglecta, reblooms - not a plicata. But there are plenty of those out there. (Sutton's Iris has a list of rebloomers by reliability and zone). Daughter of Stars is blue and will rebloom. Wintry Sky is a really beautiful bi blue.

Pink Flamingos is a very pretty one if you like simple pink. If you buy Beverley Sills though she's peach and not pink.

Harvest of Memories is a very simple yellow that is a reliable rebloomer.
You should go through the current threads of cultivars by color and the one of your favorite iris photo.

How many do you want? How much do you want to spend?? Bottom line is that the prices are all over the map.

Hi doss; thanks for the prompt reply. I'm glad to hear you have good experience of October Sky and Wintry Sky. They were on my list; my pre-pre list, so I'm pleased to hear well of them

You have the right idea; a wave of lavender and blue in which to showcase my beloved neglectas and plicatas; with here and there some pinks and pale yellows to keep it from getting dull. I'm not too attached to the shade of pink -- I find the bluer pinks merge in with the (so-called) blue and the warmer tones stand out. I just watch where I put them.

I have spent a ton of time with the various lists, and they are really helpful, but what I am hoping for is some info on people's actual EXPERIENCE with the lesser known varieties. It is really easy to get info on, for example, Jesse's Song, or Stepping Out, but not so easy on how some of the lesser known lovelies actually perform. Hemstitched, for example and Helen K Armstrong... a random grab from a lengthy list...

This is a problem generally in gardening, I find. I have been growing antique roses for about 30 years, and it makes my blood boil to see the beauty of flower extolled for a plant I know would as soon die as look at you... but that is another thread.


As to money and numbers; I have gardened for too long to want more plants at less cost; in no time flat, you fill up your garden with plants you don't really want!. At the same time, this is a pretty big bed, so I am trying to keep the cost down to a dull roar hence my appeal to all of you to help me keep from buying plants others could have told me were duds!

So bring on your warnings! Pathetic plicatas!!! Bum blues!!!! Neglectas that should be neglected!


and your beloved, naturellement:)

Well, I'll put my two-cents worth in. However, I tend to like really (how did doss put it...froo froo, LOL) irises. I'll stay away from those as recomendations for you though. In my experience, plicatas, blues, neglectas, whites, pinks, etc. that have done well and multiplied for me are:

Yaquina Blue http://davesgarden.com/pf/showimage/18533/

Rare Treat http://davesgarden.com/forums/fp.php?pid=1709010

Fatal Attraction http://davesgarden.com/pf/showimage/75565/

Splashacata http://davesgarden.com/pf/showimage/74074/

Skating Party http://davesgarden.com/pf/showimage/75304/

Ascent of Angels (pretty ruffled, though!) http://davesgarden.com/pf/showimage/76872/

Daughter of Stars http://davesgarden.com/forums/fp.php?pid=1709009

Fountain of Youth (re-blooms for me) http://davesgarden.com/pf/showimage/69569/

Habit http://community.webshots.com/photo/417989073/418291991sftgpz

High Waters http://davesgarden.com/pf/showimage/17759/

Breakers http://davesgarden.com/pf/showimage/18980/

It's All Good http://davesgarden.com/pf/showimage/69590/

Kelly Lynne http://davesgarden.com/pf/showimage/75284/

Last Laugh http://davesgarden.com/pf/showimage/62571/

Matt McNames http://davesgarden.com/pf/showimage/75540/

Silverado http://davesgarden.com/pf/showimage/33769/

Sky and Sun http://davesgarden.com/pf/showimage/27439/

Spouting Horn http://davesgarden.com/pf/showimage/69640/

Teamwork http://davesgarden.com/pf/showimage/74221/

Wild Wings http://davesgarden.com/pf/showimage/75496/

World Without End http://davesgarden.com/pf/showimage/69687/

That should give you some to look through! Hopefully, you'll find some you like. I didn't include all of the great medians I've had, because I was assuming that you're only interested in TB's. If not, let me know and I can recommend some of them as well. Have fun!





This message was edited Aug 25, 2005 3:46 PM

This message was edited Aug 25, 2005 3:49 PM

I'll toss in my 2 cents worth, though my zone 3b is a far cry from your zone 8b, so what does well here may behave quite differently for you.

Yellow - HARVEST OF MEMORIES - vigorous, reliable bloomer, disease resistant, rebloomer, everything an iris should be

White - ZURICH - all of HoM's qualities in white
WINTERLAND - slightly less vigorous than ZURICH, but otherwise a very reliable iris

Pink - nothing terribly reliable or vigorous yet, though BEVERLY SILLS does finally seem to be coming into her own after sitting here doing absolutely nothing for 5 yrs. She bloomed beautifully this year on two different clumps, and she's not peach here. She's pink.

Blue - BLENHEIM ROYAL - continues to be my most reliable blue, lovely
SUGAR BLUES - not a true blue, more periwinkle, *unbelievably* STRONG sweet aroma, one of only 6 irises to have ever managed to rebloom for me, reliable bloomer

Neglecta - PROUD TRADITION - beautiful and tough but neither terribly vigorous nor a reliable bloomer here

Plicata - ENGLISH COTTAGE - primarily white with faint lavender stitching, vigorous, reliable, a strong sweet aroma second only to SUGAR BLUES in intensity, rebloomer

Some of these may be too ruffly for you.

Happenstance (blue pink)
Fancy Dress (violet)
Overjoyed (yellow)
Designing Woman (raspberry)
Concertina (IM Pink) RE
Social Graces (Rasp)
I Feel Good is a really lovely Schreiner's 2003
Prestige Item (rose)
Codi's Angel Fact (pink/peach)
Sky Spirit (Bi blue)
Crystalyn (Pale Blue)
Silverado has not performed well for me - but I may just be too warm for it.
Coral Point (peach) and
Clear Stream (neglecta)
Not Classic Look which is a small flower with little substance.
Wonderful World is a very nice raspberry plicata

I've really just shipped almost everything out this year and started over. I've kept these.

The photo is Raphsody in Blue and Concertina.

However you might want to try Alien Mist (pale blue) and Coral Point (pale coral) even though they are space agers. They are great performers.

I'd also go and look at the iris that Margiempv has put on the plantfiles. She grows every one of them and usually puts a note on the better ones.
http://davesgarden.com/pf/browse/user/margiempv/

I agree on 'Alien Mist'. Even though it's a space-ager, it's still great.

http://davesgarden.com/pf/showimage/69481/

well, I've certainly come to the right place! You guys are worse than me!!! Please don't get me wrong about space agers and froth -- I have just had to learn to seize on SOMETHING to help me limit the wish lists I make up.

for this bed so far, I have bookmarked:NEGLECTAS: Habit, Gay Parasl, Best Bet, Hey Dreamer, Painted Pictures, Strictly Ballroom, Proud Tradition, In Town. Autumn Jester (SDB and fatal Attraction.

PLICATAS: Autumn Circus, Double Shot, Sidestitch, Queen Dorothy,
Zany, Graphique, Rococo, Art deco, Garden Club Delight and Autumn Tryst
BLUE/ LAVENDER SELF ETC: Charm City Choice, High Blue Sky, Born Beautiful, Speed Limit, Violet Music. Sea Power, Delta Blues, Autumn Sapphire & Sky & sun

also hankering after these PASTEL BICOLOURS:Jurassic Park, Carnival song, Celebration song (mb too pale, Dream of You and Lady Juliet
then there is the BECAUSE I LIKE THE NAME GROUP
Waterdragon, Feminist, Fjord, Born at Dawn, By George, Pagan Dance, Sign of Virgo. laurief; I had forgotten Blenheim Royal, I really liked it in my last but one garden, thanks for the reminder-- and I'll add Sugar Blues to my evergrowing (!) list


I have already: Yaquina Blue, codicil, Coastal Mist, Eleanor;s Pride, first Violet, Fragrant Lilac and Pacific Panorama: Jesse's song, Purple Pepper, English Cottage and Rare Treat; as well as Garden Bride, Pink Taffeta, Anna Belle Babson, Pink Attraction, Luminosity & sunny Disposition


I am a troubled woman! though some just say troublesome.

but I am at last in a garden which will grow irises again; so all of your recommendations are of great help --flowerfrenzy, I imagine that what does well for you will do as well for me; and doss, love those disses --- Silverado, fyi never did well for me in Vancouver BC either -- like you, I chuck what I don't like, though always in someone's direction, usually my neighbours who all think I am entirely nuts

life is too short to waste on coddling bad plants.

but, to return to my plain, my list is GROWING!!!! (should be a sign for rueful):)