Iris and some Irids 2010

[Maggi Young]

Yours is a gorgeous blue, Graham ..... I remember my Mum having a velvet cocktail dress that colour when I was little!

[Graham Catlow]

Yours is a gorgeous blue, Graham ..... I remember my Mum having a velvet cocktail dress that colour when I was little!

There was a time I thought it was too blue and it didn't really fit into my plans but I kept it and really like it now. It has too many leaves though.

Graham

[Lesley Cox]

Iris goniocarpa is correct spelling (even if the plant you get sometimes isn't correct. )

Graham, Iris latifolia belongs to a group generally called Xiphium and includes the Dutch, English and Spanish irises. Then there are the reticulatas and the Junos, also both bulbs, but very different bulbs. Most others are rhizomatous, and the rhizomes vary tremendously from tiny, almost like small peanuts, to very skinny and long or shorter, to thick, heavy, sausage-like things and everything in between. For a long time the smaller rhizomed plants were called just herbaceous because the rhizomes were almost unrecognizable as such. Then there is a very small group including decora, collettii and a couple of others which are tuberous, or perhaps more accurately they have tuberous roots, but not actual tubers, the way a dahlia or a cyclamen does.

Condidering what miniscule differences cause taxonomists to divide a genus into two or more genera, it always amazes me that Iris hasn't been divided into at least half a dozen different genera (not that I WANT that of course.) The Russians tried it for a time but even they seem to be using the original Iris names more and more now.

[Lesley Cox]

You're right Chris, scattering would at least be of some practical use. I had decided which trough to be buried under but that would probably only give comfort to a group of leather jackets. Now will have to decide which iris to benefit.

[Graham Catlow]

Lesley,
Thanks for the information I can do some reading now that you have put me on the right track.

Graham

[David Nicholson]

Here's another of my Iris decora from seed Lesley kindly sent me. This grown in the greenhouse and about three weeks later than the plant I have in the garden from the same batch, and a lovely scent too. Earlier moisture probably.

[Hristo]

That's another beauty David, how long from seed to flower?

[daveyp1970]

this is an Iris Decora the i recieved from David Nicholson,Thank You

[Hristo]

Some photos taken last week of Iris sintenisii. There is variability within the species, though not spectacular in nature maybe!?

[David Nicholson]

Dave, glad it flowered for you.

Chris, seed was sown 14 May 2007. One from the batch flowered last year for the first time but not sure if it was this one or not.

Loved the Iris sintenisii Chris particularly the last one in the series. They really are very pretty and ought to be grown more. Here's mine I posted a few weeks back.

[Hristo]

Hi David,
Super flower! The darker lipped forms were there but out of several thousand flowers over the area the darker forms were very uncommon. I have seedlings of sintenisii so it'll be interesting to see how they come out!

[Lesley Cox]

Yes, David's right, Iris decora will start to flower from seed in less than two years from germination. If you'd like some seed next summer Chris, say the word - though you might get it sooner from David. Once the clump is established, say 4-5 years, you'll get 50 or more stems with a long succession of flowers even though each one lasts at most 2 days, and usually only one if the weather's hot.

[olegKon]

The last Iris this year - Iris ensata "Sensation"

[Hristo]

Cheers for the offer Lesley, happy to wait!
Oleg, very nice!
I bought some Iris enstata selections last year, one flowered this year 'ruffles' I think ( sounds like some toy dog off of All Creatures Great and Small ) looks the same as 'Sensation', in turn looks similar tosome others. Don't now my ensatas too well, are there many similar looking selections out there?

[arilnut]

Hi Chris. Take a look here.           http://www.ensata.com/HTML/PlantPages/japanese_index.htm

John

Cheers for the offer Lesley, happy to wait!
Oleg, very nice!
I bought some Iris enstata selections last year, one flowered this year 'ruffles' I think ( sounds like some toy dog off of All Creatures Great and Small ) looks the same as 'Sensation', in turn looks similar tosome others. Don't now my ensatas too well, are there many similar looking selections out there?