Iris and some Irids 2008

[Joakim B]

Have you tested having them or even in almost pure sand to get good drainage?
We have had them almost to dry due to big trees taking a lot of the water but not the sun so if it is too wet that might also help.
If it is lack of sun the see if there is a sunnier place in the garden. I think in a raised bed one could have bearded ones too if you have old cultivars with high tolerance for too much water and lack of sun.
Are they worth the hassle? I do not know they grow easily for me.

kind regards
Joakim

[Maggi Young]

If it is lack of sun the see if there is a sunnier place in the garden

In Aberdeen, in a garden that is turning into a little wood? I think I have to accept the fact that my Iris days are over.

[Lvandelft]

If it is lack of sun the see if there is a sunnier place in the garden

In Aberdeen, in a garden that is turning into a little wood? I think I have to accep the fact that my Iris days are over.

Maggi, in bad days the Chinese used to grow I. tectorum on the roof.

[Maggi Young]

I could try that, Luit.......if my Iris tectorum hadn't died 

[Gerhard Raschun]

Dear Maggi,

The Chinese Iris tectorum is a unpretentious species: It grews in full sun and light shade too.My clumps grew bigger every year, so if you want I can send plants..(Then you can try to grew hem on the roof 


best Gerhard

[Maggi Young]

Gerhard, you are very kind, but I have given up! My tectorum were overgrown by Actaea  spicata and Tropaeolum speciosum when I was not paying sufficient care to the Iris and my punishment was their death. If I had a suitable roof I would accept your offer..... Ian is talking of making a roof garden over a shed... if he does this I will contact you in the future!! 

[David Nicholson]

Here is a pic of my rather 'beat up' Iris unguicularis taken today. When we left home last Sunday for a week away nothing was showing. There is a story behind this plant (probably very boring!). I bought it in 2006 at a plant sale in Norwich whilst visiting friends and forgot to take it home with me. My friend, who hates gardening, was persuaded to plant it in his garden where it flowered in 2007 (pic attached). When we visited again in Spring 2007 I dug up a division, brought it home, and planted it in my garden where it refused to flower in 2007 and Winter/Spring 2008 causing much mirth in Norwich. So, now I get my own back with hopefully more, and better, flowers to come.

Can anyone give me the cultivar name please?

[fermi de Sousa]

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

Luckily one flower ( of Iris spuria ssp halophila) opened the day before we left and it was identical to the earlier flowers, but stands about 15 cm taller - how strange!
cheers
fermi

[ashley]

So Devon slugs rival Cork ones in their enjoyment of I. unguicularis David

It looks similar but not identical to what I have as 'Mary Bernard'.  Are you sure it's a named cultivar?

[David Nicholson]

Hi Ashley, I have trouble remembering what I did yesterday so 2006 is cloaked in velvet uncertainty© As far as I can remember the plant came with a cultivar name and I think it was a girl's name but the label bit the dust in Norwich so you could well be right.

[Maggi Young]

cloaked in velvet uncertainty

what a great phrase... I shall be stealing that one... always supposing I can remember it 
I know I've moaned this before.... these Iris are another type that won't grow for me! 

[David Nicholson]

Maggi, just made a small edit to my previous post. The phrase may be used after copyright payment-chocolate will do!!

[Lesley Cox]

While I've grown several of the named cultivars of I. unguicularis over the years, I've never had one that was as good as those grown from any batch of seed. Better colour, more robust flowers and stems, freer flowering. Wouldn't bother with a named form now. except 'Starker's Pink' of course, but even from that I've seen much better seedlings with pinker colour. Not in my garden unfortunately.

[Diane Whitehead]

Maggi,

Don't despair.  The Pacific Coast irises, (called Californian iris in the U.K.
despite their growing also in Oregon and Washington), are perfectly
happy growing in shade.

Here are a couple of wild ones growing in the forest, and then a photo
of what needs to happen before any non-PC iris (like bearded, or Siberian)
bloom in my garden.  This is one of the trees that blew down onto the
house in a recent storm, and the next year some 35 year old bearded iris
put up a few of their very-infrequent flowers.

[Maggi Young]

Diane, we barely have these beauties hanging on by a thread here 
Do you SEE why I'm distraught?