Irises in What's Blooming in May

By LarryR
June 4, 2012

“The flowery May, who from her green lap throws, The yellow cowslip, and the pale primrose." (John Milton) The cornucopia of color that is May in the Midwest certainly does include the cowslip and the primrose, but ever so many more interesting and beautiful varieties. Follow me into the garden and see what's blooming at Cottage-in-the-Meadow in May.

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PollyK

Jun 3, 2012 6:45 PM CST

Thread OP

Name: Polly Kinsman
Hannibal, NY (Zone 6a)

Beautiful irises, and gorgeous pictures, Larry.

The iris you have pictured as ensata Yellow is actually not an ensata. There are no true yellow Japanese irises. They keep trying, though! It is either a pseudacorus, or a cross between a pseudacorus and an ensata, called a pseudata. Reason I'm calling this to your attention, is that the straight pseudacorus and some of the crosses are highly invasive. So please be sure to deadhead before seed pods form, and do not let it get near any waterway, as even a teeny tiny piece can take over a huge area. Here's some info on it.

http://plants.ifas.ufl.edu/nod...

Please, folks, if you have this iris deadhead religiously.

OK, off my bandstand.

My business:
Click here for Siberian Iris Gardens!

| @PollyK | Post #267211 (1)

LarryR

Jun 3, 2012 11:46 PM CST

Name: Larry Rettig
South Amana, IA (Zone 5a)

Hi Polly, thanks for the compliment. And thanks for confirming what I suspected several years ago when I bought the yellow iris. Although it was labeled as an ensata, it didn't look like one when it bloomed. I think it's probably a cross. It has been a very modest performer in our gardens. One year it didn't bloom at all, and this year it only had two blossoms. I deadhead all my irises, so if this is an invasive variety, it won't have a chance to spread. I won't pass it along to other gardeners either, since I won't be able to control how they deal with it.

Gardener was the label imprinted on me when the souls were handed out and so be it. --Margaret Roach (Thank you, Sharon!) Notes from the Garden: Articles of interest on all aspects of gardening
Cottage-in-the-Meadow Gardens: Come on in and take the tour! Check out the photos!

| @LarryR | Post #267305 (2)

PollyK

Jun 4, 2012 8:33 AM CST

Thread OP

Name: Polly Kinsman
Hannibal, NY (Zone 6a)

Wonderful, Larry. I so appreciate that.

My business:
Click here for Siberian Iris Gardens!

| @PollyK | Post #267414 (3)

LarryR

Jun 4, 2012 10:57 AM CST

Name: Larry Rettig
South Amana, IA (Zone 5a)

Gardener was the label imprinted on me when the souls were handed out and so be it. --Margaret Roach (Thank you, Sharon!) Notes from the Garden: Articles of interest on all aspects of gardening
Cottage-in-the-Meadow Gardens: Come on in and take the tour! Check out the photos!

| @LarryR | Post #267481 (4)

vic

Jun 4, 2012 1:13 PM CST

Name: Vicki
North Carolina

Great article Larry and lovely blooms

NATIONAL GARDENING ASSOCIATION ~ Garden Art ~ Purslane & Portulaca ~

| @vic | Post #267569 (5)

LarryR

Jun 5, 2012 12:12 AM CST

Name: Larry Rettig
South Amana, IA (Zone 5a)

Thanks much, Vicki!

Gardener was the label imprinted on me when the souls were handed out and so be it. --Margaret Roach (Thank you, Sharon!) Notes from the Garden: Articles of interest on all aspects of gardening
Cottage-in-the-Meadow Gardens: Come on in and take the tour! Check out the photos!

| @LarryR | Post #267885 (6)

mcash70

Jun 5, 2012 11:00 AM CST

Name: Margaret
Near Kamloops, BC, Canada (Zone 3a)

Enjoyed the article, and the blooms are gorgeous!!

| @mcash70 | Post #268021 (7)

LarryR

Jun 6, 2012 9:37 AM CST

Name: Larry Rettig
South Amana, IA (Zone 5a)

Many thanks, Margaret. Glad you enjoyed the article.

Gardener was the label imprinted on me when the souls were handed out and so be it. --Margaret Roach (Thank you, Sharon!) Notes from the Garden: Articles of interest on all aspects of gardening
Cottage-in-the-Meadow Gardens: Come on in and take the tour! Check out the photos!

| @LarryR | Post #268514 (8)

blue23rose

Jul 13, 2012 4:52 AM CST

Name: Vickie
southern Indiana (Zone 6b)

My Mom had lots of irises years ago and I never cared for them much. But in the last couple of years I have a newfound appreciation for them. Yours are beautiful and the Siberian irises are my favorite. Love the blue hues:)

Vickie

May all your weeds be wildflowers. ~Author Unknown

| @blue23rose | Post #285733 (9)

LarryR

Jul 14, 2012 10:15 AM CST

Name: Larry Rettig
South Amana, IA (Zone 5a)

I've had much the same experience, Vickie. After my MIL died in the mid-1980s, I pretty much neglected her irises. Then I realized what a wonderful legacy they were and have been carefully tending them ever since.

Gardener was the label imprinted on me when the souls were handed out and so be it. --Margaret Roach (Thank you, Sharon!) Notes from the Garden: Articles of interest on all aspects of gardening
Cottage-in-the-Meadow Gardens: Come on in and take the tour! Check out the photos!

| @LarryR | Post #286157 (10)

blue23rose

Jul 27, 2012 4:13 PM CST

Name: Vickie
southern Indiana (Zone 6b)

Maybe we get more sentimental as we get older???

May all your weeds be wildflowers. ~Author Unknown

| @blue23rose | Post #292285 (11)

mcash70

Jul 27, 2012 7:55 PM CST

Name: Margaret
Near Kamloops, BC, Canada (Zone 3a)

blue23rose said:Maybe we get more sentimental as we get older???

| @mcash70 | Post #292370 (12)

LarryR

Aug 2, 2012 10:48 AM CST

Name: Larry Rettig
South Amana, IA (Zone 5a)

And we--or at least I--think more about our past.

Gardener was the label imprinted on me when the souls were handed out and so be it. --Margaret Roach (Thank you, Sharon!) Notes from the Garden: Articles of interest on all aspects of gardening
Cottage-in-the-Meadow Gardens: Come on in and take the tour! Check out the photos!

| @LarryR | Post #294437 (13)

blue23rose

Aug 2, 2012 4:17 PM CST

Name: Vickie
southern Indiana (Zone 6b)

Absolutely! Every time I walk through an antique shop, I see more stuff that looks familiar!

May all your weeds be wildflowers. ~Author Unknown

| @blue23rose | Post #294551 (14)

What's Blooming in May

Irises

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What's Blooming in May Irises

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What's Blooming in May

Irises