Japanese irises - why don't you grow them?

A few of us who love our JI's are curious as to why more people don't grow them. Please let us know what your reasons are since they are not as demanding as you may have heard or read. They want moist acid soil with full sun but I grew them in unimproved dry soil for years until I knew better.

Please allow me tempt you to look at these sites:

Consider the Open Garden Day in July and have the pleasure of meeting the owner, Sharon Whitney:
[HYPERLINK@www.eartheartgardens.com

Ensata Gardens is probably the most widely known. Their catalog is wonderful:
http://www.ensata.com/HTML/PlantPages/japanese_index.htm

I was amazed at the great plants I received from:
http://www.iriscitygardens.com

In MA:
http://www.greywoodfarm.com

Aitken’s Salmon Creek is closed during the winter but will be up and running, as usual, in spring:
http://www.flowerfantasy.net/

From Boojum: [HYPERLINK@web.mac.com]

From Dahlianut:
They're website is down right now but it's [HYPERLINK@www.parkland-perennials.com


This photo only shows a small portion of Eartheart Gardens - it's so beautiful.

More temptation:

I live in Alexandria, VA (zone 7) and am interested in buying 40 ensatas for a low, moist, sunny spot in my garden. Here are the questions I have: when you order them from a catalog, how long before they bloom (years?). How long does it take for them to make large clumps if you start off with one root? How many years do they last in the garden? I think they are absolutely lovely, and perfect for wet and sunny. Also, will the leaves be evergreen in zone 7 (the leaves of the bearded iris are). Thanks!

Pirl, I so agree with the JI as was not sure I wanted to try them as had heard stories just like the Aril Breds...but Lee Walker gave me some, planted them all wrong in the regular business beds right next to Spurias which we all know the big differnce I have read on the two culture needs. Well BOTH grew and multiplied very well so this year I have tons.

I love all my iris and am continuing increasing my PCN/CA and my species iris as well.

D

All you can do folks is give them a chance...you will love the beauty of them and how well they will grow.

D

I live in zone 7B in Oregon...started out with about 5 fans of the original ones, most bloomed in 2 years or LESS...I grow in two areas around my small pond because I have LI there and wanted some JI as well, these are the ones that I got years and years ago but are very pretty...
Mine are in FULL SUN, in the commerical beds and not being babied at all.
Here is a bloom from last year

Bewitching Twilight

Asian Festival

this is one of NOID that I have around pond that I happen to love, have no idea of name but like it anyway

nb - most of mine bloomed the year after planting. I also live in zone 7.

I've never received a root that was just a single fan of leaves. Most places send 4/5/6 fans and they're called a clump. To make a large clump it takes two to three years, depending on how well they're planted (compost, manure, etc.), how often they're fed with any good acid food that you'd use for azaleas and rhododendrons, and the sun factor.

You mentioned a low spot in your garden. If the crowns of the plants would freeze due to water build-up during the winter then it could easily kill the JI's so check your drainage before you face disappointment.

They'll live forever in your garden! They do not remain evergreen here and do require cutting back.

This was my first JI order through Iris City Gardens, received 9/23/05:

I did order two Hatsu Kagami and this is how it looked 6/13/2007:

Pirl That is beautiful do I have something you want to trade?
Robin

Pirl , you surely are tempting us with those beauties. I did acquire a few new ones from Kathy Ann this fall and I am looking forward to seeing them bloom this summer.
Beautiful pictures
Sandra

Part of the problem may be availability. I have never seen any in local nursery's and never at the big box stores. Can they be grown in pots to sell? I have never seen a JI bloom in person ( but I hope to this year). The regular gardener usually only grows what can be found locally.

arejay - Dmail me with suggestions, please.

Sandra - how funny because I traded with Kathy Ann in the spring. I hope you enjoy them as many of us do.

daylily96 - you've written the same thing as I've mentioned to Polly: local nurseries don't carry them. Yes, they can be grown in pots for sale! That's how I bought my first few and then came the computer and the rest is history!

Frilled Enchantment is a personal favorite.

Rosewater is glorious!

Japanese Pinwheel is one I wish would expand a bit faster as I'd like to have it in more gardens.

Well, I can tell you why I don' t grow JI's. I live in an arid area with very dry, alkaline soil. That just isn't the environment that Japanese Irises love. Some members of our Iris club are experimenting with them. They are building a pond or a submerged stock tank and filling them with alternate layers of pine needles and potting soil in hopes and soaking it all real well in hopes of producing the right conditions. If they succeed, I might give it a try myself, but even Terry Aitkins who advised them on their methods wasn't sure it would work. Also they bought a mix of JI's that are supposed to be easy to grow. We will see what happens.

Good luck! That's a worthy project and I hope it works.

Here's Crown Imperial.

I never should have looked at this thread. Have any of you seen the seed addict thread? I am going to have to go from here to there. I am not sure I can resist this.
They are all so beautiful. I have I think three Irises planted . I am going to have to plant a whole new garden.
Robin

I know one of the crazed seed people! She spends hours each day with them.

Last year I deleted many, many daylilies to create yet another JI garden. Soon I'll have to rip out that silly driveway.

Here's one of my new ones from our visit to Eartheart Gardens. This is 'Returning Tide'.

I'm glad you started this thread, Pirl! Hopefully we will get some answers as to why people aren't growing the lovely JIs. They are super easy to grow. If you can grow daylilies, you can grow JIs.

I have 130++ now, and don't think I've ever lost over 5 in all my years growing them. I have them in dedicated beds, in my regular garden beds, and some actually are growing with the bearded.

And beautiful pictures, all!

Stormy Monday.


Stormy Monday

Eileens Dream

Im 20 miles away from them and had no idea they were there.

Thanks, Polly. I have some JI's in with daylilies and they do very well.

I'm sure by the end of spring you'll be over 200 JI's and I won't be far behind. It's hard not to buy them but making space is the difficult part for me.


Scheherezade

Well, I have no trouble with space, and my goal is 200 this year.

And will you look at that beautiful picture of the JI and astilbes!

arejay - do you mean Eartheart? I'm sure you must. Please go on her Open Garden Day. Many plants are dug in advance and ready for purchase. Sharon is one lovely person and very helpful.

Here's another photo from that glorious day!

The three of us are all cross posting! Hard to keep up!

arejay59,

Eartheart Gardens is the one owned by Sharon Whitney, the wonderful lady who is helping me with the hardiness test. She is an absolute gem. Eartheart has carried on the breeding started by Currier McEwen for tetraploid JIs, and she has a lot of his JIs from his nursery. Dr. McEwen passed away about 5 years ago at the age of 101. So if you want to live to an older life, grow Jis and sibs, I guess.

But I think Eartheart would be a definite go see.

Pirl yes Eartheart it is beautiful. I am going to have all I can do to keep myself from going there. Im trying to find the picture of the one I bought last year. I dont know the name of it but I do love it. Heck all Irises

Thank You Both for all the info...Cant wait for Spring. Irises ,seafood and seaglass from Harpswell. What a day trip.
Robin

Google the location before you go. It will be on the left side as you go ALL the way down into Harpswell. We missed the sign but here's a photo of it to help you out.

Just for going to visit you'll get a free seedling!

I can tell you why I AM growing them......Pirl !
Crown Imperial is luscious, sigh.

Hi, Louise! I can't even apologize for getting you addicted!

When you click on the Crown Imperial photo you get about the same size as the flower actually is in real life. People used to call them "floating butterflies" and many photos of them include butterflies. They sway in the breeze. The blue one measured 9" one year!

I do not grow them because they hate me!!
I have managed to keep 1 alive of all those I have bought
everyone in my area can grow them
they just hate me

Oh no! That's not music to my ears!

Did you keep them moist? Acid soil? What do you think went wrong?

I love the bearded irises and having them the JI's look to my eye as half a flower with the bearded having large upright standards, two- I've got neutral soil great for the bearded, three- I don't have the extra room, four- no moist areas the only LA iris that was given me grows in small circle lined with plastic and mulched to help keep the moisture in, five- I'm probably on the border zone for them, six- I haven't seen any reds my favorite color JI's are nice and look great in a large clumps but I like the variety of color and size that the bearded iris offers.

Anita just kills them right and left...me thinks she loves her aril/arilbreds better:) LOL

D

We have the acidic soil but more interested in bearded & sibs.

Maybe Anita's JI's know that she loves the Arils/Arilbreds better and they just can't handle it.

LOL:) I agree:)

D