Juno (Scorpiris) - Season 2010

[Maggi Young]

Janis, don't do this to me

David, You want that I stop my entries?
Janis

This is so funny!   Janis, you are giving the Iris lovers as much excitment as the Croconuts! I hope they all have enough heart medicine to cope! 

[TheOnionMan]

Few new Juno irises from today
I. rosenbackiana from Tovilj-Dara
Iris persica and
Iris stenophylla (2 different localities)
Janis

Fantastic! 

Janis, have you grown any of these outdoors, without cover or protection?  John Lonsdale in Exton Pennsylvania grows a number of these outside without protection.   And I've grown some of the easier types outside for years, plants that John gave me,  (aucheri, magnifica, vicaria, graeberiana, cycloglossa, etc) and as long as they're gown in sand, they're easy as dirt and bulk up into big clumps.
Photos from John's Edgewood Gardens:
http://www.edgewoodgardens.net/Plants_album/The%20Plants%20-%20%20Complete%20Collection/Iridaceae/Iris/Subgen%20Scorpiris/index.html

[Maggi Young]

John Lonsdale states in his article about the climate of his Exton, Pennsylvania Garden :
http://www.edgewoodgardens.net/thegarden.html   that it  "is in USDA zone 6b, winter minimum temperatures have reached -5ºF (-20ºC); summer maximum is over 100ºF (38ºC)" and " With perfect drainage, a southerly aspect and shelter from the worst of the prevailing winds, the garden is ideally situated to push the hardiness limits of many plants that would traditionally be considered impossible to grow here."

When one reads the full article, I rather think that I would prefer to spend a winter there than in Latvia....

[TheOnionMan]

John Lonsdale states in his article about the climate of his Exton, Pennsylvania Garden :
http://www.edgewoodgardens.net/thegarden.html   that it  "is in USDA zone 6b, winter minimum temperatures have reached -5ºF (-20ºC); summer maximum is over 100ºF (38ºC)" and " With perfect drainage, a southerly aspect and shelter from the worst of the prevailing winds, the garden is ideally situated to push the hardiness limits of many plants that would traditionally be considered impossible to grow here."

When one reads the full article, I rather think that I would prefer to spend a winter there than in Latvia....

John's garden is a perfect setting, the southerly exposure is protected by a steep wooded hillside to the north... it is true what they say about good siting and microclimates, and his garden is a glorious sight.  Most plants he shared with me, Juno iris included, have done fine in my slightly colder USDA Zone 5 garden, 325 miles to the Northeast. The mid-Atlantic states do deal with higher summer temperatures and humidity than here.

[Janis Ruksans]

Few new Juno irises from today
I. rosenbackiana from Tovilj-Dara
Iris persica and
Iris stenophylla (2 different localities)
Janis

Fantastic! 

Janis, have you grown any of these outdoors, without cover or protection?  John Lonsdale in Exton Pennsylvania grows a number of these outside without protection.   And I've grown some of the easier types outside for years, plants that John gave me,  (aucheri, magnifica, vicaria, graeberiana, cycloglossa, etc) and as long as they're gown in sand, they're easy as dirt and bulk up into big clumps.
Photos from John's Edgewood Gardens:
http://www.edgewoodgardens.net/Plants_album/The%20Plants%20-%20%20Complete%20Collection/Iridaceae/Iris/Subgen%20Scorpiris/index.html

I. persica and stenophylla are not growable outside. Iris rosenbackiana better is growing outside. I grew it for many years without any problems on sand based soil in my first garden. It was so easy that I used bulbs for forcing and selling in winter as pot plants. But it is not very difficult in light clay, too. Problem was that in last years rosenbackianas came up too early and had heavy damage from late night frosts, killing flowers and seriously damaging leaves. So at present I'm getting better flowers in greenhouse. But bulb crop regardless even to leaf damage is far better outside. So I'm planting half of my stocks in outside garden. I suppose that greenhouse conditions are too hot after flowering.
Janis

[Janis Ruksans]

One of best Iris persica from Munzur ridge (not find by me, but kindly presented to me by one of my friends from Germany)
Janis

[udo]

Janis, this yellow persica is wonderful.
Here my Juno persica,
                   galatica
                   rosenbachiana `Harangon`

[TheOnionMan]

Janis, this yellow persica is wonderful.
Here my Juno persica,
                   galatica
                   rosenbachiana `Harangon`

Dirk, `Harangon` in the sunlight is like candy confection, like cotton candy in the US, or candy floss in the UK... beautiful pink coloration.

I. persica is beautiful too, in the different color forms.

[LucS]

A juno grown from Archibald seed: Iris willmottiana coll. Karatau, Kazakhstan.
The flowerstem is rather low when flowering starts and elongates in time.

[LucS]

And another Juno that I have as Iris graeberiana.
Would like to hear if the plant matches the name.

[Janis Ruksans]

A juno grown from Archibald seed: Iris willmottiana coll. Karatau, Kazakhstan.
The flowerstem is rather low when flowering starts and elongates in time.

Iris willmottiana from Kara-tau belongs to my most favourite Junos. Moderately easy to grow, extremely susceptible for viruses which destroy plant in a pair of years, but of so lovely color! Well set seeds if handpollinated and seedlings easy grow up to flowering size. Unfortunately virus-infected becomes sterile and so careful check of stock is needed.
Janis

[Janis Ruksans]

And another Juno that I have as Iris graeberiana.
Would like to hear if the plant matches the name.

Not the true species but the plant cultivated as Iris graeberiana for many decades. Three cv. names applied 'Yellow Fall' (with yellowish blotch on falls - seems that this is yours plant), 'White Fall' (with white blotch on falls) and 'Dark Form' (by flower indistinguishable from I. zenaidae but sterile). I think that true species isn't in general cultivation yet. Its origin was quite great mistery (given very wide area from where came type plants), but we (Arnis Seisums and I during one of our common trips) seem that discovered it in wild, but I lost my plants (may be few seedlings I still have, but they didn't flowered yet to check identity) and I think that at present it is cultivated only in Arnis's collection and may be in Kew.
Janis

[LucS]

Janis,
Have you a picture of a true I. graeberiana ?

[Janis Ruksans]

Janis,
Have you a picture of a true I. graeberiana ?

Sorry, I don't think so. It was in pre-digital era. May be some slide, but too difficult to find at present.
Janis

[Otto Fauser]

Janis , your yellow I. persica is very ,very beautyful . If I remember correctly it is the same form as the one Michael Kammerlander showed at the Prague Conference 3 years ago.

   You are fortunate to grow Crocus almehensis - thank you for the photo ,as I had never seen it before .

       Otto.