Looking for Iris - NY

I'm going back east in June and would like to find growers around Syracuse, NY if indeed there are any...I know of some daylily farms, but not iris.....

if anyone knows of any - please let me know, I want to get my sister started with a new flower bed while I am there......and even though she will have to wait until next year for blooms, I'll have gotten her started......

thanks.

audrey

Don't know of any growers in NY. Why not order from Snow Peak or one of the other growers. They can be mailed directly to your sister for her to plant at the righttime of year. (July) If you want iris that you can plant, you cant do better than get some from Iris City Gardens or Ensata. Ensata is digging now .......We (NLRIS) got our our order last week.

inanda

Thanks Inanda - I'm going to have to show her how to plant a few at least....she is not a gardener, but my iris photos this spring finally got her salivating over the area we cleared and prepped last fall and remains unplanted!

audrey

A nice trip would be to Borglums Iris Gardens in Geneva. They specialize in siberians, but have many others. 2202 Austin Rd. Geneva 716-526-6729. I know they are closed on Saturdays. This would be about a 55 mile trip for you. They do sell siberians, and I don't know what else. Mr. Borglum is a hybridizer and has the Seneca series of siberians.

There is also a display garden in Camillus you might want to take her to. I don't know if they sell iris or not, Robert Kontak, 207 Hinsdale Rd. Camillus, 315-487-0284.

I also think Phoenix Flower Farm carries iris.

We are about 36 miles from Syracuse, in Hannibal, up near Lake Ontario.

Hi Polly!

I'm very familiar with Phoenix Flower Farm - I'm actually from Baldwinsville! My mother and I used to go there every spring when I was visiting to buy daylilies...and I also got her some asiatics there one year. I'll definately check and see if she sells iris.

I've seen you on the forum and honestly could not remember exactly where Hannibal is, now I do! I have not lived in the area for over 30 years so my memory is a bit hazy on places......I had not travelled around much before I made the big jump to Arizona out of college!

Camillus only a short jaunt too so I will make a note and call Mr. Kontak ust before I go.

If you have any recommendations for what does better in the area, planting hints, it would be much appreciated. Here in Phoenix I have quite a different set of rules......watering, sun, etc.

Thanks for all your help!

Audrey

Actually I've been growing beardless iris for many years, and they do fantastic here. Siberians and Japanese would be foolproof for your sister to grow. With our amount of rainfall you only really need to water them quite often when they are first planted. So a few of those along with bearded iris would make a great flower bed, and you could have blooms May to July.

I'm certainly no expert on bearded iris. I know they grow very well around here. As to cultivars, I really can't recommend any, except I see Immortality re-blooming all around. I think any cultivar has a pretty good chance here. Out of the 65 I planted last fall, I only lost one, and all but 13 have flower buds.

Our soil here in upstate NY is sandy, so amending is good. Full sun for all the iris. Mulch the beardless well. Not the bearded. Really I think anything you plant is going to do well.

I had stopped at Hafners, and they only had one bearded iris, and no beardless. Ditto Gravinas. I bought my bearded on line.

Enjoy your trip back home, and really do consider going to Borglums. It's quite a place.

I've done a lot of trading with DGers to get more iris plus bought some online. 1/2 of the bearded iris I bought on ebay bloomed incorrectly. Local growers are lucky to have 3 colors of TBs.

Beardless iris are much easier to grow and not as prone to rot , but the bearded have such incredible blooms that it is worth the effort. .

Now Wanda, what could be prettier than a whole clump of Dino, Japanese Iris in full bloom at 5'8" tall.

http://davesgarden.com/pf/showimage/80355/

I think Wanda's iris prejudiced. (And rightly so after the show she had last year).

That's a good idea, to have your sister join Dave's Garden, and get in some good swaps.

A whole bed of Tall Bearded iris in full bloom May 2006!!!

Show off, LOL

Hey, that was LAST year. Another bed in 2006.

This year, I only have 60 colors in bloom--and not the profusion of last year. But the peonies and Columbines & other spring flowers are kicking in now. It looks okay, but early spring freezes took their toll.

It looks absolutely beautiful again this year. In fact your pictures are what made me buy so many iris this past year. Before I retired it seemed like an awful lot of work. The sibs are so much easier. But now I'm retired, only working 2 days per week, and bearded here I come. Another 70 on order for this year.

It IS an addiction.... I added 6 colors of Siberians & 2 Japanese iris this year.

Oh it's so beautiful colors....