In zone 6, Cincy, it's officially iris season!

My first bloom is Melanie.


This year is going to be interesting. Unfortunately we had a third Fool's Spring. And I'm guessing the bitter cold snap that followed it has had an impact on stalk height.


You can see the height Melanie has, and in the bottom right, the inky-dinky head and really short stalk of a bloom. It looks like several have been impacted this way.

But also, several emerging bloom heads look deformed, and are forming at an odd angle. I'll take a photo in a day or two.


And, for now, lastly, I get a kick out of the color fade on Melanie. It's always like this. But I think it's kind of neat. They look like different types.

Nice start to the season.

yay for you wheezy! looking forward to more!

dup.

Flash of Light opened this morning.


Pleased to say, looks like no cold damage.


Melanie seems like her usual self. Mostly. Maybe the petals seem a little less robust than usual...

But floriferous.


Also, here are my totally normal garden dorgs.

I *guess* this hook in the stem is deformation from the cold snap. This is the maiden bloom of Absolute Treasure. Fingers crossed


This is Fathom, with a severely affected stem length.


There are a couple of plants with abnormal heads peeking out. They look lighter in color than they should be. I think these buds are going to be deformed. Hope I'm wrong. This includes Valley of Dreams, which hasn't bloomed for me yet. Fingers crossed for this one too.

The bend is weather related. Absolute will have straight stems for you in the future.

The cold also causes the folding and crinkling of the leaves like you have in your last picture. I have found when a bud is stuck in the leaf like yours is, that if I gently (very gently) pull open the leaf, or cut it away if need be, the bud then continues to develop and bloom. Otherwise you may get a half opened squashed bloom that turns mushy next to the stalk. I really love to see my blooms so I am crazy enough to take such measures. Fortunately I have been rewarded most of the time. Just don't knock the bud off!

Lestv said: The bend is weather related. Absolute will have straight stems for you in the future.

The cold also causes the folding and crinkling of the leaves like you have in your last picture. I have found when a bud is stuck in the leaf like yours is, that if I gently (very gently) pull open the leaf, or cut it away if need be, the bud then continues to develop and bloom. Otherwise you may get a half opened squashed bloom that turns mushy next to the stalk. I really love to see my blooms so I am crazy enough to take such measures. Fortunately I have been rewarded most of the time. Just don't knock the bud off!

Oh man. I ought to have tried that sooner. I'll have to go out and see how they look.

I hope absolute treasure can just do it's thing this year. But it's good to know that this is a temporary thing.

Flash of Light is pretty! Also enjoyed your picture of the pups!

Leslie, thanks for the tip about cutting away a leaf if the bud is stuck down in it. I'll have to try that especially for an iris that is trying to bloom for the first time.

It really is worth trying instead of sacrificing the bloom.

Fathom opened yesterday evening.


You can see fathom had some of the shortened stalks.


I've got to pace myself, as I've got flipping COVID again. my husband keeps bringing it home with him from work trips. ...

I've got heads on some irises that have never before bloomed for me before! Like King's Reign, Man's Best Friend, Valley of Dreams, and Wabash. I'm so excited.
(Kings Reign was on its last chance. I was going to move her to the pot ghetto! Three years! Too long for the central location I put it in.

Mystery plants too! I had to scramble and uproot some plants last year because of a borer issue. Some got mixed up. I think I lost My Gal entirely. May have lost Lusciousosity, and that will not stand. I'll have to buy it again.

Folks keep posting your photos. Please.
Really cheers me up. I know I can't be the only one.

Anyway, opening soon:
Superstition
Imbroglio
Rings True
Asian Plum
Signs of Hope
Frank Adams
Mystery IB

*Looks like* these aren't going to flower this year.
Magnetisme
Pleasure All Mine (😫 nooo)(from last year)

Adriatic Waves
Merry Madrigal (these had to be uprooted last year. She's usually reliable.) (Here she is last year.)

Australian Rose
Ruffled Goddess
Others.

Gay Romance may be lost. It got chewed on pretty significantly last year. Here it was with Lusciousosity.

Oof. Here's a better look at some of the damage it went through.

Man's Best Friend maiden bloom today.


I think she's very cute. She's tiny though. Even for an IB. Might be weather stunted.


There she is, in between her sisters.

Adorable!

wheezy. on the right side of last photo, is that 'flash of light'? whatever it is, (or) might be is very eye catching.

Yes, isn't that spectacular! I think I might have to add that to my wish list.

shizen said: wheezy. on the right side of last photo, is that 'flash of light'? whatever it is, might be is very eye catching.

It is! The color on the falls is unreal. Just saturated.

DaisyDo said: Yes, isn't that spectacular! I think I might have to add that to my wish list.

I got it from Tina & Daughters.

Thanks, Wheezy.

I managed to get out a bit every day, in between bouts of aggressively sleeping away the covid. Really pretty blooms this year.



Valley of Dreams is just maybe my new favorite.



Look at the colors on this thing!


I can't stop looking at it, honestly.

Kings Reign opened his the first time this year.


It's a challenge to photograph well. But I like it.