post your irises

wow! everyone's irises are looking good. my yellow ones didn't last too long, especially with those dry winds. a different one starts blooming tomorrow.

What suppliers do you guys use for your iris and day lilly bulbs? I see a few advertised, but most are in the cooler zones, Id like to get some from growers nearer to our sub-tropical zone....
DD

great color!

Kim, what is the plant in the background of your iris? I love the leaf shape. Does it grow in full sun?
Jane

Jane...that'd be a myrtle hedge...(also the topic of many discussions, do we leave it, do we pull it, etc)...they're fairly quick growing, sun tollerant, evergreen, etc...

DD...I have gotten most of my iris over the years out at Shepherd's Iris Garden over on 35th Ave & Orangewood. I haven't been out there in at least 2 years though....does anyone know if they are still in production out there?? Is the garden open right now?? (this is typically about the time the start opening it for touring and ordering, right??

Hmmmmmm, I had thought they stopped selling and maybe even closed up shop entirely a couple of years ago.

They did close up - 2 years ago - they retired!

Crud! Anyone else have a recommendation for pretty irises? they were my grandma's favorite, and I have a few that make me think of her everytime I see them. Would love a few more.
DD

DD - first you need to know you will have to wait and plant them in the fall.....and if you go over to the IRIS forum you will get a lot of good info on them as well as hints and suggestions for growers to buy from. Locally its not too easy to find them except at box stores....but last fall after our luncheon get-together at Royal Palms some of us hit Baker's Nursery and they had a limited, but very healthy collection, I bought 6, Rodica bought some and I think Marie did too! They settled in nicely and a few of mine are sending up flower stalks in their first season!

audrey

Baker's had a few when we were there last week.

Can I order iris online or by mail and then hold onto them until fall or will they shrivel up and die? Betterbloom, what do you feed yours? stephani

Came home from vacation to find these beauties!

Oh Cissy...those look great!

Now I'm totally bummed about Shepherds....poo...I know the husband had broken his back about 4 years ago and wasn't really able to care for everything, but I'm so sorry to hear they completely closed up.

Hi Stephani, what usually happens when you order iris is you order and pay now in order to reserve your iris and they get delivered in the fall. Some are probably order now and pay later but you'll likely have a restocking fee if you cancel at any time.

Those are great Trudi!

Trudi those are great!!

Beautiful. What a homecoming gift.


Good gardening


Rodica

All are so beautiful! Adding to my fall list... how wonderful to have those beautiful blooms on the first day of Spring!

A few more blooms today...
Here is deep dark secret.

How gorgeous!

Good gardening


Rodica

This one was very short, maybe next year it will grow taller. I think it's sugar magnolia ?

Wow your iris are beautiful Sandy!!

One last one..epicenter.
I am so sorry I only ordered one of everything last year. This year I will re-order some of my favorites. This is one of them.

Geez those are beautiful blooms Sandy. Makes me want to order a whole bunch more for fall!!

Here is a pretty little white bloom I came home to yesterday.

Marie, that is beautiful and so are the yellow freesias in the background.

Good gardening

Rodica

Thanks Rodica. :o)

Marie, What a cutie one you have, that little white one. I usually don't order any white flowers, but are now realizing how they brighten up a garden. I may have to get some.
I know what you mean about ordering more, I already have......... and keep changing my order to add on more.

So I'm hearing talk of no flowers the first year they're in the ground. Does that include transplants because I put some rhizomes in the ground last fall and they are in bud.

That is what I read also, but maybe because we do not put them through the tough winters they are settling in quicker - I just planted my first group last fall and I have had two that flowered in February and two more that have send up multiple flower stalks just this week!

I took a look at my last year's irises and four of them have flower buds.
I can hardly wait to see what colors the flowers are since I got them from last year OG at the high school.
Most of them were in bunches with no names.


Good gardening


Rodica

Tudor,
I think it depends on how young or old the r/z is. I just planted mine last summer and about half of mine have bloomed already. Most of the other ones have blooms, just haven't opened yet. My r/z were hugh, and I've already got babies growing out the sides. I'm new at gardening so I may be wrong.

Rodica I bought mine at that same sale.

Betterbloom it does seem that size is probably a factor as if I think about it I chose mostly the large r/h at that sale yet not all have even grown leaves this spring. I'm thinking that I'm only seeing activity from the larger r/h.

Clair, mine were different sizes too and I can tell you that the ones that are blooming are not the biggest ones.
I had several small ones from the last couple of swaps and they all have leaves.
I hope that yours will have flowers soon. They will surpise you with the buds just like mine did.
I do not remember seeing those buds a couple of days ago, and believe me I looked.

Good gardening


Rodica

I had three small r/z that I got from a different place, they haven't done anything as far as blooming. All of my big ones are so maybe, or maybe not. But then I have also had one of my bigger ones bloom three times in 9 months. Wish they would all do that.

Wow... this makes me wish that all of my irises were blooming... next season I'll have fantabulous pictures to post... keep them coming everyone... :)
Brittany

this is a transplant from last autumn. i think i only saw 2-3 blooms from this iris last summer. now look at it! the tallest bud is just shy of 4'. enjoy!

Nice bloom, looks like many more coming your way. Lucky you, I'm still waiting on some new ones to open. ( I do have a calla blooming, does that count ?)

Oh, what a lovely display that will be!

I'm pushing, I'm pushing!
Since I relocated this last Fall and took a few of my iris with me, the relo may only allow for this one beauty. Iris and fuchsia are my very favorite. Well, thats before Icelandic poppies and Daphne.

Here's my second one to bloom - it is the purest white with golden yellow beard.....

Lovely Audrey. I really like the white ones.