Sure do Fran and they are beautiful in bloom. Mine are all about two inches above ground. Sounds like you will end up with a beautiful show this year!!!!!!! :)

Cheers Jando

What sort of conditions (water, sun, soil) did you give them? I've had some luck with Siberian iris, but the Japanese iris I planted two years ago have not bloomed.

I've got one clump of Japanese iris that I planted next to a small pond, where it gets full sun in the morning and early afternoon. The soil is damp clay. It bloomed well the year after I planted it. If your iris hasn't bloomed by the second year, it probably doesn't get enough sun. Irises never bloom much -- if at all -- the first year I plant them.

Well, since I planted mine last fall, maybe I'll get some show this year! I have them scattered in groups around the pool at the bottom of the garden, some in little soil-filled rock crevices right on the water's edge. The soil was basically contractor's fill dirt, so I dug out most of it and added enough pine fines to bring the soil pH down to about 5.9. I fertilized very lightly the other day with some HollyTone, and I hope that will give them a gentle boost.

They sure are lovely things! I ordered them from Ensata Gardens in Michigan, because they seem to be one of the few growers that try to keep the historic ones going. I was a bit alarmed to see that some of the ones I got last fall are not listed in their 2004 catalog. I do hope I'm not the last repository of these rare plants!

Fran

Does anyone know if it's a problem to plant Japanese iris near Siberian iris? Can they cross and lose their distinctive features?

Gardener, I'm not quite sure what you mean about losing their distinctive features. The sibs will stay sibs, and the ensatas will stay ensatas. Their blooms won't change at all. If they hybridize, the offspring will be different of course. But the plants you have aren't going to change at all. They bloom at different times, too, so if you wanted to attempt your own crosses you'd have to either hold back the sibs, or force the ensatas. So I don't think you have to worry about hybrid seedlings springing up and overwhelming your sibs and ensatas.

Fran

hi
gardner:
siberian iris can grow without wet feet.
J Iris need to be in water or near water.if soil dry out, kakitsubata do get stress and will not bloom.

if iris is in water and can not feed reguler fertilizer, go to oriental food store and buy small dry fish/niboshi 3/4 inch to 21/2 inch long dryfish. before use it as fertilizer, put fish in water for a while and remove solt.
use chop stick to make small holes, place fish in hole, hole should be deep enough to whole fish can burried.
fish will supply NPK and works slowly. and dry fish work for most indoor plants too.
( if you don't have a cat :) :) :) )

dry fish will make your bone strong too.
"Izure ga Ayame ka Kakitsubata " this is japanse proverb.

when fran and you stand side by side, can not tell who is beutiful than other, both are beutifful much as others.

if I have scocth wisky in one hand and burbon wisky in other hand. can't decide which one to drink , I pour both wiskey in one glass and drink it to gather. but not flowers

your posting of above april 16, fran explained very well.

dawgie :
please try dryfish . it will work. every other month untill october, then next year start feed dryfish end feburary (if have mild winter) or march . I am for sure that you will have many flowers next year........mike

Fran and Mike...thanks for the help! I've had the sibs for several years, but I want to add Japanese iris to my garden.
I'll have to try the fish idea!

The only problem with putting Siberian Iris near Japanese Iris is they will begin to fight over the islands:)

No new bamboo shoots yet but the hard winter has deposited a few inches of bamboo leaves on the ground and I am hoping they don't catch fire.

I have scored about 15 ton of stone for path and wall building from a quarry/farm pond and my paths through the bamboo are improving.

Very springlike here in CT USA
Anybody going to see the cherry blossoms at the botannical gardens in NYC?

I have a few hundred Japanese irises and do a little hybridizing when I have time. The URL below shows some of my seedlings. They are not for sale.
If you're really interested in I. ensata, you may want to check out the Society for Japanese Irises, an affiliate of the American Iris Society.
As for the question of hybridization between Japanese irises and Siberian irises, it is a cross that theoretically could occur. Until recently, it had not been reported in the literature. One hybridizer in Oregon has claimed success, but independent evaluation of the work has not substantiated the claim.

Here is a link that might be useful: Japanese iris seedlings

Hi Fran,

I planted three small Janpanese Iris plants last year 2003.
Last year they did nothing and did not seem to grow any.

Just last week they started to bloom, they grew to at least 3 1/2 feet tall maybe even taller I have not measured them. I planted 3 of them but now I must have 9 or more and they are full of blooms ready to open. The ones that are currently blooming are dark purple and beautiful.

They were worth the wait.

One very important factor with Japanese Iris...they WILL NOT grow in alkaline soil. Acid application is very beneficial. It is early June here in zone 6 and our Jap Iris are just starting to bud. They also seem to do better near water or kept moist. The blooms are always worth the wait.

I made sure I had a nice acid soil mix for them, so they're at least growing well. No buds yet, but I planted new bareroot divisions only last October. I have tried to look after them well with water and fertilizer, but I've got a huge area to cover besides the Japanese-style garden, so I put them on my maintenance calendar and hope I can get to them often enough!

Fran

Dear LEWISE 825
when you use word of "Jap" ,in history of USA and Canada Jap was not mean to be abbreviation. It was used most time as slur. Many people use "Jap" as abbreviation without thinking much . But the "Jap" word has dot or not. you are insulting Japanse and Japanse Americans . I am for sure that many words you are not useing it in public place . simply you know how that is affect to your life and other peoples life if you use those word.

please add "Jap" word to your list of word which cannot be use in public place and if you want to abbreviate, JPN or JP are better. Thank you.................. yama

Here's a photo of a section of the extensive iris bed in the Meiji Shrine in the Harajuku area of Tokyo. There's an elaborate system to flood areas of this garden.

Here is a link that might be useful: Japanese iris