Iris and some Irids 2008

[fermi de Sousa]

Thanks for your comments, everyone. I couldn't show a decent pic of the foliage as the "filifolia" one is coming up through a clump of TBI and Lycoris! It is fairly fine foliaged but I'd side with Rafa's suggestion that it's a hybrid. The person I got it from got it from someone else who was doubtful of its authenticity even then!
The other iris (received as I albertii) I've decided is a form of Iris spuria, possibly ssp halophila.

In the next pic you can see another iris which came from the AGS Seedex as I sikkimensis, but again appears to be ??a type of I sibirica maybe??

Here's a close-up,

Cheers
fermi

[Paul T]

Fermi,

Love that white.  Quite short for a spuria too isn't it?  Or is it just some of the spuria species that are tall?  The spidery flower is quite unusual.  Very nice, whatever it is.

[Lesley Cox]

You are probably right Fermi about the possible Siberian, an old form I would suggest. I like the spuria too. Any seed maybe later?

[fermi de Sousa]

You are probably right Fermi about the possible Siberian, an old form I would suggest. I like the spuria too. Any seed maybe later?

Hi Lesley,
is it on MAF?
I did some "tickling" so there will hopefully be some seed set. I'll keep you posted!
cheers
fermi

[Lesley Cox]

Yes, it is!

[Jim McKenney]

Here's the first Iris unguicularis of the season here in USDA zone 7 Maryland, USA.

If you look carefully you'll notice that one of the night nibblers got to it before I did.

When I first tried to grow this species about thirty years ago, I eventually gave up because I never saw a fully developed flower. The plant would form flower buds, but they invariably froze before opening. I gave up and tossed the plant.

Then a few years ago a member of our local rock garden group distributed some plants at a meeting: his experience had been the same as mine. He was getting rid of them because he never got flowers. At that time I had a bit of space in a cold frame and thought I would try it there. But the season got very busy (i.e. there were many, many spur of the moment acquisitions) and the cold frame filled up before I got around to planting the iris. So the iris is planted in the open air against a SW facing wall and under the roof overhang. The plant took a year to dig in, but now it grows freely. It bloomed for the first time in late November 2006; in the season beginning November 2007 it bloomed more or less continuously from early November into April. 

Now I understand why this plant is held in such high esteem in those other areas where it grows well. I still find it hard to believe that it will be a permanent resident here, but for now I'm one happy gardener!

[fermi de Sousa]

Yes, it is!

Good, it looks like the pollinated flowers are setting seed. Strangely enough, new flower spikes are arising and getting higher than the original ones! I wonder if there are two types of iris in situ? They'll probably be over before we get back, but I might ask a neighbour to take a pic if he has time.
The hybrid spuria iris are now coming into flower; this one is called "Golden Lady"

Next to it is "Intensity"

The hybrid siberians are also starting, this is "Blue Sapphire " or "Sapphire Rose", can't quite remember!



And this is "Mesa Pearl"

Due to our climate we grow Iris cristata in the shadehouse; here's the first flower for the season.

Here's the first Iris unguicularis of the season here in USDA zone 7 Maryland, USA.
If you look carefully you'll notice that one of the night nibblers got to it before I did.

Jim,
slugs and snails were always a hassle in Melbourne where we used to live and why I didn't bother bringing any of this iris with us when we moved. However our neighbours grow it really well and I'll have to reconsider!
cheers
fermi

[Jim McKenney]

Fermi, spuria hybrid 'Intensity' is a real beauty! Somehow the spuria hybrids had escaped my net until recently. But this year a very handsome one bloomed in the garden. Although I was sent what seemed to be a robust division, it took three years to bloom here. It came without a name, but it seems to match up pretty well with 'Chocolate Fudge'.

[Maggi Young]

The pictures on these pages make me realise all too well what I'm missingby not growing more Iris, but they're not really happy in our Aberdeen Garden....  at least I get to see them here.

 Jim, thank you for your greeting "on the other side"....it was just a note posted for us by the charming Mary Sue..... I'm still just a lurker at PBS !!

[Paul T]

Maggi,

Have you tried Louisianna Iris?  They love extra water, don't seem to have the heat and cold requirements of so many of the other iris, and can be grown in the ground or in a pond/bog garden.  The flowers can be absolutely stunning, depending on the variety (and there are a lot of different varieties).  Probably the Spuria iris would do OK for you, but I don't know whether they need summer warmth or not?  They're definitely another that can grow from a pond to a garden bed, so they too are more tolerant of your garden dampness.    And then of course the crested iris such as Iris japonica, tectorum and wattii might be good as they grow from sun to full shade, which means that in your climate your full sun is like our shade!!    Just a few possibilities for you.  I'd imagine that the beardeds don't like your climate at all, but if you're judging all iris by them, you're doing yourself out of some wonderful plants!! 

[Lesley Cox]

I may be quite wrong Paul but I think the crested species such as wattii, japonica and tectorum may be marginally hardy in Aberdeen. Even here the foliage is sometimes damaged if the ground is wet when the frosts hit. And the Louisianas in cooler climates make masses of foliage but very few flowers. They like a dryish mild winter and a wet and humid summer. I've given up on them altogether. All the spurias like a hot dry summer though can stand extreme wet in their spring period.

[Paul T]

Lesley,

Hadn't even thought about the cold intolerance of the crested iris.  You're spot on!  I must admit I was just thinking from a moisture point of view for many of them (I know some Spurias that are grown in permanent boggy conditions and still flower very well, so some at least don't need summer dry).  Sorry for the misdirections Maggi..... my climate biased experience is showing. 

[Lesley Cox]

Well of course some of the spurias will tolerate almost permanently wet conditions. According to Kohlein, I. s. ssp halophila which Fermi showed a week or so back, is the most northerly growing of the group, in Russia, Siberia etc and can be found growing on stream sides or in wet meadows. I. s. ssp musulmanica grows in saline soils and salt marshes. They have incredibly tough and stringy root systems which go very deep.

[Joakim B]

I believe that Sibiria in the summer is sunnier than Aberdeen and that may help the plants to flower.
Maybe Maggi should go for some old types I. sibirica? They tend to tolerate and flower in a lot of different conditions even if they might not excel in all conditions. Check what they neighbours have and You may be finding someone there.

Kind regards
Joakim

[Maggi Young]

Joakim, practically the only Iris survivng here are old  I. siberica types but even they are not doing well these days