Soulja's 1st Iris Slideshow

Amazing job, Shawna! So many beauties, all sooo special! Red at Night is gorgeous, I've never seen an iris colored like that. As well as they're all doing, you'll have nice plump clumps next year with tons of blooms!
Neal

thanks you all. problem with me and plant files is I am really bad with labels! Ha!
But I will post the good shots of ones I'm sure of on there. Thanks for suggesting it. I guess I've arrived. It is exhilarating to grow irises isn't it?

I have one that is one of the prettiest one so far and I don't have an ID. Maybe one of you knows what this is? I thought Scarlett O Harlett but it looks too bright. I went through my catalogs and can't remember what this is.

Scarlett O'Harlett, that name cracks me up! Sure do love it though, reminds me of a sunset.

thank got I am not alone!!!!

Love your garden. Beautiful!

Scarlett O'Harlett blooming here in april

yep, looks like the others I have marked for Scarlett, so the one on the picture will be named Jean Harlowe until I find out who she is.

I got a tasty Sassy Tart today.
it was actually a gift from Cooleys.
worth $50 !

and i like these Kah-Tee-Na very much.

another with no name, but guess what,
the cat's name is Flowers....

This was sold to me as "Gypsy"
however, no such iris seems to exist in any file...
really pretty though.

this one is so cute,
another Darcy

Double your pleasure,
Blue Suede Shoes

Magical Encounter

spooky,
Midnight OiL

not spooky,
Mother earth

and a Morning glory "Kikyou",
for good luck.

I just stumbled onto this thread! Holy Cow, Shawna! I've never seen so many irises in a yard. (Not even at a plant nursery!) The way all your gardens are going, you'll be awarded 1st Place for the most original and beautiful walk-about garden layout in your town! And then another 1st Place for the gorgeous collect of plants that you are growing!

I wished I lived near enough to you to come take a stroll and see all these beauties in real life! The photos are stunning! Definitely add the cultivars you are sure of to PlantFiles. I haven't seen close-up photos of irises as beautiful as your shots! Your taste in plants is breath-taking! Thanks for sharing all your beautiful blooms - be they irises, clematis, or morning glories!

3 Questions:

What does Best Bet smell like? I love fragrant flowers.

How tall do most of your irises get?

What kind of soil are they growing in? I want to know what you amended the iris garden with!

Great slide show! I know nothing about irises, but after seeing yours, I might add a couple irises to my garden beds. Thanks for inspiring me! :-)

YaY!!! my friend Becky is here! Now it's a real party.

All the irises have a different smell, some mild, some stronger. I have one that smells lemony, or citrusy I'd say, some are spicy, others are sweeter. The iris fragrance is like nothing I've smelled before. Totally intoxicating. Heck I didn't even realize they smelled good! ((bonus!)) My new friend robcorreia started a thread called, fragrant irises. check that out.

The tall beardeds get up to 46" tall, though there are dwarf bearded, intermediate bearded, and border bearded as well. I stuck mostly with tall and a couple intermediates. I have about 6 dwarfs though that are cute. Others here have amazing dwarf collections though which come out earlier and only get 6 - 12".

I'm really excited about my irises. that's no joke, maybe almost as excited as you are about your Morning Glories! I'm lurking on your thread daily and you are really workin' that vine down there. I just planted all my vines from yours, karen and Jackie's seeds in good spots where they compliment the clematis, or just grow where brand new (pruned) clematis are. I got your favorite Brazilian in a good spot and it's taking off.

just regular old top soil was dumped into the bed where all the sand & lime were but they like good drainage so your sandy soil should be good, and I just amend it with lots of compost and manure around the bases of the rhizomes where the bulbs are and I give em a spring and fall feeding of iris fertilizer from Cooley's. Just make sure you mound up the rhizomes so they're up on a little hill and exposed to the sun and not sitting in water because they can rot. Too much water is the irises main enemy I think. That's it. Have fun Becky. you know how.

BEST BET ( smells great and reblooms!)

Beckygardener be careful when you go Iris shopping and only choose those that will grow in your zone. Remember the lilacs. Well there a just some things we can not grow in Florida.

Shawna oh they are gorgeous... and what a gorgeous morning glory also... love it!

Thank you Kassia!

oh Shawna look at this... my first irises... oh I am totally hooked... no question about it!

another one... and yes, I have no idea the names....

ohmygosh look at you! I know the thrill of the first ones kassia, congratulations! The first one sure looks like the Best Bet i posted just before it huh? are those your first irises ever, or just first for the season?

Kassia, I don't know enough to recognize many bearded iris, but the second one looks like my Swerti. I just happen to love that one, so it is familiar to me.

http://www.nziris.org.nz/index_files/Page631.htm

The spelling is actually Swerti. Collected in 1612. 36" diploid, blue and white plicata with a smaller flower. According to Superstion it was on the official AIS black list in 1925.

Soulja, do you have landscape pics to post? I would love to see what you have mixed in with those lovely TBs!
Teresa in KY

Hi, Becky ~wave~

The irises are in their own bed mixed with spring & summer bulbs. Right now the glads, lilies & cannas are popping up. Tomorrow I'll take a few of the larger bed area, but here's my herb garden from today. the whiskey barrels are a pure Kentucky elegant way to grow herbs i think and they sure tasted great on the roasted chicken tonight and on the eggs benedict yesterday morning.

I love that Swerti to polly. What pray tell is the black list?

Shawna - Thanks my friend ... for all the great advice!!! I shall be checking out some of the online Iris nurseries to see what would do well in my zone and what is fragrant. I will check out robcorreia's thread, too. Thanks for that suggestion as well.

If you think Irises are intoxicating, wait until your Brugmansia blooms! I have never smelled anything like that fragrance. I am looking forward to adding an Iris or two to my fragrance garden. My scented plants are growing in variety! :-) Never knew there were so many cultivars of Irises. Your selection is as impressive as your Clematis collection. Very sweet! I can see why you are growing so many ... they are as diverse as the Morning Glories I love to grow! :-) Love your Iris bed, too! Your garden designs just blow my mind! Love it!

Mittsy - Hey there, look who's here, too!!! Thanks for the reminder to check zones on any Irises I see and like! Will do! BTW - Most of the cuttings you brought me are doing great! THANKS again for your generosity! I love the Devil's Backbone plants. I have them in a pot and they are growing like crazy and look beautiful! Thank your daughter (or was it your son) for me! And thanks again for personally delivering them to my front door! :-)

Hi Teresa! I see you are interested in the Irises too! :-)

This message was edited May 27, 2008 11:04 PM

Kassie i think your second one is Madame Chereau
on it the fall hang down like dog ears .
on Swertii the falls curl in at tip they are identical side beside except for this little quirk

It looks like some of the newer iris doesn't even have falls, they have straight out little propellers! I love them all!

Did someone mention clematis? :)

Hey Teresa check out my clematis thread: Clematis in Time For Derby!

http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/842422/

Great!~I will definitly make tags for them!!! they deserve to be called by their names.... oh I got late to work today because I kept looking at them... oh so gorgeous... I just got one as a gift last night... and has a varigated leaf.... soooo nice... I am in love!!!!!

Shawna, I love your herb/veggie garden, its sooo cute! I'm looking in detail, because I've realized something about myself where edibles are concerned- if its not pretty, I won't care for it like I should. So, if I make it an adorable space like you've created there, I'll like hanging out there, and will be all OCD about its care (like I am roses, or lilies, or.....). I browsed through your clematis thread too, and want them all! I have about a dozen, all planted or moved here last year (the worst year to have moved a garden!), and a couple have started putting on a show. Of course they're both cheapies from discount racks at box stores, and none of my "good" ones I got from Brushwood are blooming yet. But they're all doing well and seem like they're gonna like it here :-)

Kassia, I so enjoy your enthusiasm as you fall in love with another flower! Its very easy to be bitten by the iris bug. Getting kinda Iris crazy around here too. I've seen they like it here, so I want them everywhere!

holy canolli.... why did I look at the clematis???? oh they are gorgoeus... goodness gracious I love your herb garden... really gorgeous garden... good work my fellow gardener!!!!

thanks so much you all. Here's a shot of the iris bed today where the color has lulled somewhat between the irises and the next flush of blooms: lilies, cannas and glads.

And be careful with clematis. They'll have you making new fences & trellises, stringing up wire along every available perimeter, every tree, porch, dog house, shed, mailbox, wall, bush, everywhere on your property before long. {;-o ~oh no! *grin

oh you are so creative... its so gorgeous... I love it...

Shawna, I am afraid it may be to late... I have this Clematis blooming right now and I can just think of more...

Shawna,

Your round flowerbed is beautiful and fabulous!

Fantastic job!

Marilyn

Soulja, I don't hae a clue what the black list was. But I assume it was irises the society did not recognize or condone. I know there was a white list and a black list. Maybe someone with more experience with the AIS could tell us.

But doesn't it make you want it all the more if it was on the black list?

The "black list" was a stupid idea put forth by AIS in late 20s or early 30s. Some of most hardy, therefore plants still around were on it. People should never be told which cultivars they can buy. It is like saying that you can't like Andy Warhol if you like Monet or vice versa.

Amen
IRIS MA
what is a poor grower here thrives in another state.
ck your local iris society for tour gardens
and if it grows in your area go for it .