Lookie who's FINALLY able to join in the fun!

Finally!!! You guys have been making me nuts with all your beautiful blooms, but now my garden has finally delivered on the promises of iris flowers with which it's been teasing me for the last week.

Every year, without fail, the SDB, Caution Sign has heralded my iris bloom season. This year is no exception EXCEPT for the fact that it's not alone! This morning when I checked the beds, not only had Caution Sign opened several flowers, but it was joined by Golden Violet, Baby Prince (maiden bloom in my garden), and Blue Doll! There was even a broken stalk of Double Byte that was nearly open, so I rescued it and brought it inside to bloom in a vase.

And so, it begins ...

Caution Sign, SDB

Golden Violet, SDB, is very similar to Caution Sign, but having them blooming simultaneously and within a foot of each other has made their subtle differences more obvious. GV's blooms are slightly larger, definitely more golden-hued (as opposed to CS's more yellow tones), and GV's beard is a noticeably darker blue-violet than CS's.

Golden Violet

Baby Prince, SDB, is in its third year here (planted in '03), and this is its maiden bloom. It's a very slow grower so far, but it does have nice rich color.

Baby Prince

And my ever-faithful Blue Doll, MDB. There's such innocent sweetness in his diminutive and perfectly tailored stature.

Blue Doll

Yay, Laurie!!! Congratulations! :0)

Laura

I like those...esp the second one !

Beautiful! I'm happy for you. I'm still in daylily envy-nothing's bloomed yet.

Sandy

So glad you have some blooms, Laurie! They are all beautiful!

Wow, I'm impressed! I'm in your neck of the woods at my cabin and I never would have expected to see your "yippee" post yet. Are they early this year or do you expect to see these varieties at this time? I'm trying to figure out what works up here in Outing and have all my deer-resistant lists out for ready referral. So far, my iris, daylilies, heuchera, hosta and trillium are alive and well from the winters. If you have any suggestions, I'd much appreciate hearing them. Great to see your photos. Thanks!

Lily

Lily,

Usually these first blooms open right around 5/14, but last year they started on 5/7. Iris suggestions? Sure, I've got about 730 of them! LOL! Seriously, though, if you want to talk specific cvs, email me privately at lauriefr@localnet.com, and I'll be happy to make recommendations based on your preferences.

Laurie

This one opened yesterday as a maiden with several stalks. It's supposed to have a strong, sweet fragrance, but I find its scent here to be fairly subtle.

Flower Shower, SDB

OK, you guys are going to have to tell me if you don't want to see pics of the same irises I posted last year. I can, if you prefer, just post the newbie bloomers in my garden. But assuming you wouldn't mind looking at them again (until someone tells me otherwise), the parade continues ...

Today's openers are a soggy bunch photographed quickly between rain showers, so please forgive them not looking their best.

Let's start with Irish Chant, SDB.

This is the one I mentioned in a different thread that blooms here with dark purple color breaks on the falls (and sometimes the standards). It should have white standards and light blue falls. Either way, it's a beauty.

Alpine Lake, MDB

Nice color on this rebloomer. Unfortunately, it has a tendency to just about bloom out every year. It blooms every fan and barely manages to replace them before the next season.

Autumn Maple, SDB


This message was edited May 10, 2006 4:03 PM

This message was edited May 10, 2006 4:08 PM

Bedraggled though he may be today, this little guy always charms me with a carpet of tiny purple blooms. Somebody toss this baby a towel!

Bit More, MDB

Sorry about that double post of the Autumn Maple pic. Man, this site is slooooooow right now!

Forever Blue, SDB, which I keep hoping will rebloom here at some point.

Gnuz Spread, MDB

My old friend and still favorite SDB. Who wouldn't love an eye-catching iris that is a prolific clumper, reliable and generous bloomer, embarrassingly fertile, and is even capable of reblooming in zone 3?

What Again, SDB

Western Circles, MDB

Always prolific, always beautiful.

Ruby Eruption, SDB

Last for today (I think) is ...

Jewel Baby, SDB

Oh wow! They are just gorgeous. I say post them all! And that Blue Doll is a doll indeed!
Just wonderful pictures Laurie.

laurie--loving the dwarfs! Most of the dwarfs you traded me last year are blooming. Happy Dance.

Laurie, loving all your irises!........I say post 'em all! LOL I really like 'Ruby Eruption'....great colors!

So Wanda, where are your pics??? Have I missed them? Are they hiding in a thread I haven't explored yet?

Laurie

Since our temps dropped and the weather turned rainy several days ago, my garden has stalled. I've got little blooms in a holding pattern just waiting for a bit of warmth and sunshine to pop open. Petals try to unfurl but can't quite get up the nerve, like eager swimmers dipping a toe into too-cold water, then retreating to dry land.

Yesterday, however, Firestorm (SDB) could contain itself no longer.



This message was edited May 14, 2006 3:57 PM

And today, Child Bride (MDB) showed her pretty face.

... along with MDB Grapelet (who tends to be a shy bloomer here, though certainly handsome when he does make an appearance) ...

... and MDB Invisible Ink.

I'm jealous! I STILL don't have any iris blooming. I think it took too long to warm up here this spring.

Gorgeous iris Laurie. I especially like Firestorm. Gotta get me one of those. ;)

Laurie,
Such great irises. Thank you for posting!

Joan,

Do you grow any MDBs and SDBs? If so, I'm surprised you don't have bloom yet. We, too, have had a very slow, very cool spring including snow just last week. We've only had a handful of days that have reached 70 so far. Most have been in the 50s. This last week has been mostly in the 40s.

Of course most of my MDBs and SDBs are yet to bloom. Perhaps you just need to add some earlier blooming MDBs and SDBs to your collection, like the ones that have already appeared in this thread.

It's supposed to get up to 68 on Wed. If it does, I should have a flurry of bloom before temps drop into the 50s again on Thurs.

Laurie

Yeah, I have some of each of those. I think another reason mine are so late is because I divided lots of them last year, which most likely set them back again.

We've had a beautiful weekend and I even sunburned the back of my neck crawling around weeding.

I've still got my fingers crossed that I'll get some blooms soon.

I had a bunch of little iris appearances today, and I'm still cropping and resizing them for posting, but I thought I'd start with the four maidens.

Wee Lad, SDB

This is another of those moody color combinations that the Willotts grace us with from time to time. I find the blue-green-grey color of the standards and fall rims absolutely hypnotic.

MDB, Munchkin

SDB, Cinders

The grass-specific herbicide I used a couple of weeks ago to try to beat back the hayfield in the new iris bed wasn't supposed to have any sort of negative impact on the irises. Tell that to poor little Sugar Maple, SDB. Awwwww ....

I love 'Muchkin'! The coloring is great.

laurie, taking pics like mad here, but not much time to be online. Dwarfs are finishing, masses of Intermediates blooming and early Tall Beardeds. HUNDREDS of buds . I guess they're making up for wimping out in the late frost last year. Hard to leave my garden and go to my computer with so much beauty outside.