gorgeous irises!

I love plicatas & oldies;
do you know the name of your rose-colored historic?

Thanks for posting your iris. Just want to warn you the rhizomes from WalMart may not be true to name. We take our chances with the big box stores.

sylviatexas......these were ALL given to me. I've identified Night Owl, Mme Chereau, Antigone.....the odd pink one is unknown as of yet. :0) I went to the local Iris society sale and purchased "RED" ones; Medici Prince, Red @ Night....then Stepping Out & Circus Stripes.

iris_gal.....When they bloom I'll see what's there to see. My garden is nice...just not well bred. The well bred ones didn't make it.....only the old varieties survived. :0)

Nicole, I suggest when you buy iris at Walmart that you soak them in 1 part bleach to 9 parts water, before you plant. And I went and had a look and the store here doesn't have any iris in or any bulbs at all yet. I will keep on the look out. A few years ago I got some cheap iris from there in the fall, but here I should have grown them in the house, so they didn't make it through the winter. It I had grew them in the house over the winter and then planted in the garden in the spring, they would have been fine. I agree that they may not be true to name on package, but they are cheap enough to take the chance.

I am not sure how early in the fall you have to plant your iris to settle in before winter there, but that probably was the problem. They didn't have time to establish roots before winter set in. They say 6 weeks, but that just isn't long enough in colder zones. If you buy potted plants in the spring, you will probably have better luck with the newer varieties. Or buy them in the fall and grow indoors over the winter and plant out in spring.

Sierra

sierra_z2b....WOW! Zone 2b.....that is cold! I'm in a zone 5a and iris grow well, just not if pocket gophers eat them or grass grows thru the rhizomes or a 7 year drought hits. :0) Understandable.....:0) I'm amazed this many survived.

And....I did soak the iris in water for a few hours before planting. It rains every afternoon here. So they're not gonna dry out.

Note: I planted that bed 17 years ago before digging the whole thing up, dividing and replanting 2 years ago. It was waaaaaaaaaaaaaay past due!