If you want to drool over some amazing I. reticulata visit http://www.reticulatas.com/
I wonder if any are available in the U.S.A.

Those are really different.
As for short lived reticulatas - Its been my experience that some varieties dont do well in my zone.Natasha was a HUGE disappointment and didnt bloom a second year.

Rita
North Shore, Long Island, NY
Zone 6B



Now that I think about it some more, I believe it is the iris danfordiae that I read doesn't come back. Too bad as it is such a pretty yellow color.
(0) | Quote | Post #379097 (20)


in my garden I have had similar experiences. all iris varieties that I shown here have increased. k Hodkin had not flowered this year and iris danfordiae was no longer appeared in the following year. According to my information is iris danfordiae a wild form, which grows at altitudes of Turkey.

Pix from March 24th 2013

and these pix from yesterday

Those are beauties.Mine are so close but not open.Makes me impatient.

I agree, those are real beauties.

I know I do need to get more for next year so am looking at Brent & Beckies. I see Pixie and Dijt both of which look really good to me. And I also really like Rhapsody.

Jo Ann. was Natasha are pure white or a silver grey color? Too bad that it didn't rebloom!

Jo Ann, it´s a great anticipation to blossom

mine here in germany are earlier and almost finish with their flower

Natasha is a well known tender variety.
Our older Katharine Hodgkin flowered today. the ones planted last fall are just showing the tiny tip of a leaf. In the same bed, but not next to the marking rock. As they are new probably will come along.

Well, that shoots that. I don't want to plant varieties that will not be comming back.

The varieties with Iris histrioides in their background, like 'George', seem to be more durable than the others, at least they have been in my garden. Also, try to plant them where they won't get a lot of moisture when the bulbs are dormant (summer/early fall) as they are vulnerable to rot during that time. In their native habitat, they get rainfall in the winter and spring, but very little in the summer.

More have opened today and they look so pretty. Maybe I will take a picture of them tomorrow.

So I see enough to know that I definately want more. Will be plotting where I want to plant them and what I want to get. Brent and Beckies has the prettiest selections. That is where I got my Aldia. Scheepers and especially Van Engelen are much cheeper when one wants a large quantily of a variety like 500. But they have much less of a selection than B&B does. I definately want Pixie and I see they both sell that one. And I figgure I can't go wrong if I get more of Harmony.

The iris reticulata patch today.



Bright and sunny today so lots more blooms had opened.

Based upon information I'm finding it sounds like Iris danfordiae doesn't necessarily decline if provided the right growing conditions. The sterile triploid commonly sold in commerce will usually split into bulblets which can then take several years to reach blooming size. Some sites recommend supplementing a patch year to year, planting deeply and feeding heavily to achieve reliable bloom. I suppose this means that eventually, (after 2,3,4 years of adding bulbs?), you'll always have a percentage of blooming size bulbs. Has anyone tried this?

Here pix taken yesterday


han

OH my. These are all so pretty.

thx rita, yours too
these ae the last once

I think we both like clear blue colors

han

I love the color blue, that real blue you get in iris. Much of my garden is daylilies and there is no real blue in daylilies. So I really enjoy the vivid blues.

Those are really beautiful, Han -- such a shame that they only bloom in the Spring, isn't it?

No one has had danfordi last more than a single yr in this area. zone 6.

mary ann:
in my opinion it is good to enjoy each season of a particular flower. the reticulata is that beautiful, that they bloom so early in bright colors. of course I´m a bit unhappy that theire season is ending here. if the would flower the whole year, I would not appreciate like i do. the next one will be on the beautiful daffodils, tulips and other flowers, then the other irises, lilies and daylilies be. So each season will be nice and especially.

rita:
in relation to my garden, I am glad that the blue color appears good. which is maybe determined on the soil. the iris sibirica setosa, and japonica also show good color. real blue daylily I did have. but purple, lavender, fuchsia. Maybe the daylily (Daylily (Hemerocallis 'Triple Sunbeam Purpleblue')) contains a little blue and purple. For most of flowers the color is clear and strong. but you can´t compare the kind of like iris have.

han