I was visiting a elderly friend in East Texas yesterday. I noticed some iris across the road from her property. After some discussion, we concluded they had to be 80 years old. I mentioned some iris I would like to dig that (I thought) were planted by my cousin's grandmother. My friend corrected me and said that her grandmother had planted them. She is 80. So, if her grandmother planted them, how old must they be? They are in fairly heavy shade, in a (now) wooded area, but they bloom. I don't remember what color they are, but used them to locate the old home place of my cousin's grandmother a couple of years ago.

My elderly neighbor told me last week that she brought the irises in the alley behind her house from her previous house. She has lived here since 1952.

Right now, I don't have a great interest in old irises.(Although I'm a genealogy nut, so history naturally follows it.) Right now, I like the new ones. Are there people who are interested in old irises? Is there a great variety of them, or or they just white, yellow and purple?

By the way, I have some white cemetery irises in my alley. I planned to dig them, divide them and share. I did not get it done. I apologize to those who wanted some, but I havne't dug them yet. Maybe I'll get them dug next year.

bkay