Germinating iris seed can be difficult, as many have to go thru a leaching process. It's usually much easier to grow from rhizomes, or divisions. What kind of iris seed did your friend send you?

I collected some seeds from my tall bearded iris, planted them in a pot in the fall, leaving them outside in the elements. They all germinated in the spring.

Irises get mailed all over the country from just about anywhere. What kind of iris are they? When I hear illegal I think psuedacorus in which case sending the seeds might be technically illegal too.

Easy way to start all of them is to pot them up and put them in a spot where they won't get kicked over and forget about them until spring. Once they germinate watering might vary a bit depending on kind but like with all tiny plants they aren't going to stand much drying out until they are bigger.

Here is a link to the kind of Iris's I was sent. She didn't know the names either. LOL
What I did was plant them in an egg carton with some manure of them.
Suenh, I tried emailing you back but if came back undeliverable. :(
http://groups.msn.com/photographyloversunite/andreasflowerpics.msnw?Page=1

I was sent the purple and yellow seeds.

Thank you, Sondra

Sondra,
Those are bearded iris seeds that your friend sent you.
I would get them into a pot. I don't know if there would be enough soil on them in an egg carton to make it through the winter and rain for the next 8-12 weeks it will take them to sprout.
Your friend is right about sending plants through the mail, they are supposed to be inspected by the Department of Agriculture first and have an inspection certificate on the box.

Some more about planting iris seeds.

Walter Moores

I have beautiful Jelly Rolls (bearded Iris) that I would like to start elsewhere in my yard. Are the fresh seeds better to use or the ones I have kept in a cool dry place from last year ? And how can I get them to bloom more than just once per year? They are gorgeous.

Alas, bearded iris bloom only once a year. There are some that are supposed to bloom again in the fall but I never got them too.

Follow the directions as stated above to grow from seed but that will take three years. If you simply want more plants than just divide them as they sprout new babies. You can also try ebay.

I did try to grow some bearded iris from seed last winter. I got the seed on ebay.

Mine apparently failed. I have done the water irises from seed and they took many months to sprout. I had given up on them and thew the dirt in the garden then one day I found them sprouting! I got some in bloom right now. Perhaps bearded iris are the same way?

I did wait till a month or two before spring to get them out there. Next fall I will get them out there in a more timely manner.