Poly- thank you, maybe I'll stop being lazy and watch the AIS webinar on the PCIs. I think they like more acid than TBs etc, but I will wait til I know. I know bone meal is a no-no for the Japanese.
Elsa- I checked the smell on Smell the Roses- sweet but not like that of a rose. But that's one early tiny blossom, so the jury is still out. We have had 4 more inches of rain up here!

GreenIris said: Isn't Spring (or almost Spring) great I still have 5 weeks to go before I start seeing any blooms but at this stage, I even find leaves exciting.

I share your feeling! My iris leaves are really growing fast and there are a lot of increases - I'm getting excited for the bloom. Like you, I probably won't see any bloom until the end of March, but things look promising!

I'm a couple of months out from my first bearded iris blooms, but meanwhile....



Iris reticulata

Gretchen: Thanks for checking on the scent. I like sweet scents too. On another thread we were talking about what colors we would like to add more of, to our gardens. I think really I would like to add more scents. If I really hear of a scent I don't have, I think it would be worth purchasing.

Andrea: It sounds like we are on very similar schedule. We are getting close

Lillie: Love your Reticulata's!!!

More reticulatas:


Iris ret. 'Harmony'



Iris ret. 'J.S. Dijt'


Can't find the tag for this one.


Iris ret. 'Alida'

Really like the looks of J.S. Dijt. You have some nice reticulatas!

They really add a much needed dash of colour this time of year, when it is needed most.

Lilli- Those are so CUTE!!!! I AM going to have to get some in the fall. Do they get tall grassy type leaves as they grow? How do they do in the ground? It looks like you have them mostly in pots? how tall do they get and how big around? I take it they come back year after year. I will look them up, but words from the gtower's mouth are always "truer!"

I tried growing these many years ago---I think I had Harmony and one or two others. They only came back 1 year I think, then they were gone. But maybe they needed a better location. I might try again sometime. I really like that NOID. Such a deep color! Thanks for sharing these pictures, Lilli!

Ty!

I checked my plant list for the name of the NoID, but no luck. It might be one that I got in a mixed bulb bag from the supermarket, so no ID forthcoming on that one, I'm afraid.

Yes, they do put up some very long grass-like leaves after the flowers, so I recommend growing them away from paths, because they will flop all over the place. I grow mine in pots or in the soil and they do equally well. I've tried a variety of cultivars by now, some of which have been one offs, though I grow them all in the same way. I'm thinking some cultivars are tougher than others or maybe it's just down to chance.

The most reliable ones in my garden are Harmony, Alida and of course that purple NoID . In my zone, they need full sun and well drained, but not dry, soil. I mulch the beds with organic mushroom compost every other year or so and I use a generic liquid fertilizer for the pots.
I think they are definitely worth trying.

Hi everyone, happy iris growing in 2024.

My first iris bloomed: a NOID

The stalk was very short this year. Hopefully others will bloom normally. Another view:

Lili: I love J.S. Dijt as well. It looks like some exotic sea creature or something.

Betsty: Congrats on your first bloom of the season. It is such an exciting time!!!

Your first brave bloom!---must endure the harsh cold, deep swings in temps, etc. But what a sign of hope that spring isn't far away.

Lilli, I really enjoyed seeing your reticulatas, hope I see some for sale next fall. We had 84 degrees here yesterday, and now all the plants and grass are shouting, "thirsty, thirsty, thirsty". I hate drip systems. Time to deal with them again. Grrrrr....
TB Born to Party is new and still in a pot, but thinks it's already party time. Its first bloom was pretty ravaged by rain and wind, but yesterday a nice looking bloom opened up

Gretchen - Very pretty bloom!

Betsy - Gorgeous.

This counts, right?
Iris Ret.

Of course "that" counts, Monty! Beautiful deep blue color. I am covetting those early reticulatas.
I had three SDBs come out today. Two old ones, actually Ahhh is a mini DB and Blueberry Tart and a new one for me, Outspoken. Quite nice!





Oh boy, it's all getting started!!!

hello everyone! I want to share my joy - today I have the first iris bloomed this year (if you do not call iridodictyum and juno irises).
This is a Oncocyclus hybrid from ASI seeds 38-2019, maiden bloom
parents: ((camillae x onco) x (sib A010)) x (haynei hybrid x ass. Hybrids), seeds of 2016
Donor - Derek Halford, New Zealand

Nice bloom, Sergey!

Sergey: The dark colors look so mysterious! :rolleyes:
I don't know anything about Oncocyclus hybrids--I'll have to learn a little about them--see if they are easy to grow.