Siberian and species are on the way!

Barb, the timing is different in different parts of the country, but the siberians usually start around the time of the latest tall bearded. The Japanese are after that. Species at various times.

The siberians can tolerate some dryness, but they need water while getting established. They are OK for your zone, but if it's really, really dry where you are, you would need to supplement their water. They can't be grown quite as dry as the TBs.

Iris suaveolens is a bearded iris, I think in the MDB class. Someone correct me if I'm wrong.

yes, a very small bearded species.

irisma, so suaveolens is a species? or a very early hybrid? it's a miniature. i love it and i can not grow it. so sad.

but there are others. and i am going to get some spuria and siberian this year if all goes well. i just have to see for myself.

It is a species and here is the yellow/white form these are from seeds

there is no one on this thread from the south but me. do southerners not grow siberians?

Zone ranges from 4a to 9b. Guess you can grow some of them.

but mittsy, that zone range thing doesn't help on some plants as they are only talking about a plants cold tolerance. there are a number of plants that could take my cold but not my heat. i need to get on one of the southern forums to see how well they do.

Barb, I would think the siberian, and definitely the Japanese would be challanging for you to grow. You would have to site them in part shade, mulch them heavily, and keep them well watered. Your best bets would be the Louisianas and the spuria.

thanks polly. someone has offered to send me a few siberians for me to try and i am going to accept. now when i get them do i bury the rhizome and can i water away unlike with tb iris? and if i catch your drift.........siberians can take the heat but they do like moist soil, right? can an established patch of sibs get along on less water? would it help them to have those moisture crystals thrown in the hole?

and sibs start blooming right along with the late tb's, right?

When you get the sibs, soak them overnight. Before planting fill the hole with water a few times, to get it really wet. Bury the rhizome two to three inches. Water as much as you can, and at least two times a week during the hot weather. Mulch them really well. Pine needle mulch works great if you have it.

I don't use the moisture crystals, so I don't know. Recent studies have shown those don't really work well. And I don't know if they would hurt the plant in the long run.

You probably can't get peat moss where you are? That's the best additive for sibs.

An established patch will get along on less water.

Yes, they can take the heat, but need to be kept moist.

Here they start blooming with the late TBs.

Harbor Mist, it came out today.

another view with Silver Rose behind

that was great information polly. i can get peat and i will make me a peat bed. in a garden space say 4 x 4 would one small bag of peat be enough? never put that in my beds so don't know proper ratio.

those flowers are so pretty. keep the pictures coming.

Some Sibs blooming with some mini roses.

I'd go two bags or a larger one for that size area. If you really want to do well, throw a bag of composted manure in too.

Pretty, jumper2. I like that Harbor Mist.

Harbor Mist is supposed to repeat bloom, although it doesn't for us, nice light blue, hybridized by Ken Waite. Silver Rose is hybridized by Bee Warburton.

Sparkling Rose bloomed today.

I never knew Bee but I knew Ken and went to his irises long ago.

Mint Fresh
Bloomed today

Wonderful! Too busy to post till later!

Caesars Bro and grandkids. They stayed overnight last night. Alone, sweet as can be. Together one continuous fight.





This message was edited May 31, 2009 10:50 AM

Here's some I'm sending off tomorrow.

Dee--haven't seen 'Mint Fresh' in a long time. No we are't putting it in here, but good to see it. I know that Bee was pleased with it.

Polly such cuties! My 2 grandboys are also great alone and nutty together. They make me tired! Alone they are a joy!

My grandson is graduating June 9th and he is 6'4" and 190# of all muscle as he is a counslor for the summer camp for the kids age 8-14

My youngest is almost 12 5'5" already and a diva in many ways.

Lucy I love Mint Fresh...so glad I got it back.

D

Can you send the one that's a counselor over for a few days. Maybe he could straighten them out.

Thanks, Boojum. I took a three hour nap after they left.

Sometimes I feel too old for this grandparenting stuff! Well today I went to NH with the local iris society. A member has a garden at her restaurant and the sibs were in peak. Unfortunately her garden help pulled out a lot of the tags but they were still gorgeous!

Here's part of the square garden.

This garden runs along the highway in front of the restaurant.

Definitely peak! And lunch was great too.

This was my fav-Shadowed Eyes (had its label).

Meanwhile back in MA. We are having a frost warning and I am crazy (orchids are outside). I made a tarp tent for them after many tries and towels and sheets blowing away. I wonder what will happen to my sibs!
Roku Oji today. A swap with poppysue last summer

Version. Looks like someone nibbled a standard.

Mar-Jan. Both are versicolors.

Three Quarters.

Tourist again.

Little Dazzler.

Very pretty, Boo!

Never heard of Three Quarters. That's pretty. What is Little Dazzler? Versicolor?

Three Quarters is Tamberg 1993. Got the name wrong on Little Dazzler. I really should read my own labels! It's Little Blue Sparkler.