As a relatively new iris fanatic, I just wanted to reach out and see what long time iris lovers choose as their "must have" irises.

Most of my irises are NOIDs, but I did start buying named irises this year. I thought I went crazy by buying 11 of them. However, after reading what others have purchased this year, I see that I'm rather sane lol. Just don 't look at my iris wishlist next to my computer, or you'll see I have iris fever too.

My must have's change each year and there are many many fine iris to choose from. Also we each have different tastes but I think a good place to start would be the Dykes Medal winner for the last few years, Also Wister Medal winners and top am and HM winners. This is just TBs....then there are the medians and on and on. Happy hunting.

Thank you Paul. I did get quite a few names off of the past Dykes winners, as well as, from the Dykes thread going on here. I'm also looking through the "Tall Bearded Iris Symposium" for nice ones too. Not to mention all of the ones people here have growing in their yards!

Is it wrong that I want all of them?

We all have our obsessions. Iris are certainly one of mine but so are Hosta. They need different exposures so do not compete. And then there are roses and vegetables and phlox, rudbeckia, echinacea and on and on

Black Suited. Ours bloomed without increase this year.

Oh Black Suited is nice! It's added to the ever growing wish list.

Yeah Paul, my love of irises is shared with my love of rhododendrons, azaleas and camellias too. I love hostas and roses, but so do the deer in my area. I live next to open space, so I have a hard time here with those type of plants. I do have some roses and a few hostas in a fenced in area, but not as many as I would if my whole property was fenced in. However, that is not an option... Since I'm the intruder in their area, I want the wild life to roam freely through my yard.

Rob, 11 is a good start! Get the shovel out and start your new beds for next year! lol, cause that list will be much larger by then! Worst part is that you spend all winter adding iris to the list, then the new introductions come out and you have to add a bunch of them too. Before you know it you have 50 to 100 new additons. Then you start trading with the fiends you meet on here, and you have to add another bed. The fun never stops. I already have a good start to next years list, but really wish I had gotten All Smiles, Golden Panther and Noble Gesture this year. Then you have to find space for the new seedlings. A friend I met on here gave me some seeds, and they grew! On top of that, I got the bug to make some crosses this year, and have a bunch of seeds to plant this winter and will have to find room to plant them next year. I have about 23 acres here, and if I don't watch out I'll have a jillion irises. I did manage to cull out some this year. Maybe 10 or so. Like they say, there could be worse addictions to have. You might be able to identify some of your NOIDs in time. Good luck!

Rob.....Toms advice to work on some beds this fall is spot on. Work the the soil, eliminate weeds, add a generous amount of organic matter and some fertilizer and you'll be ready to plant next summer. The iris you plant in these improved areas will reward you the following year. I have deer here all winter and a few linger all year long. They often eat my first rose buds but [knock on wood] so far haven't bothered my Hosta or my tulips which they love, There are a number of great catalogs to look at in the spring. One I would suggest is Superstition. Nice rhizomes, good selection, decent prices, and generous extras.

I'm glad you weren't with me when I bought some irises Tom, my 11 would have turned into who knows how many. 23 acres!...nice! I would get into trouble with that much space.

I have a flat field that I've been covering with wood chips and leaves for the last 10 years. The soil under the chips is black gold and weed free and ready for some love. The slight slope leading to the field (was also covered in chips for years) is where I currently have replanted my other irises.

So I'm making a shopping list for next year (and many more to come lol) to fill the field with color and love.

Paul, I have deer here all year long. I once left the gate open to my roses and overnight, they ate everything off of several of the bushes.....leaves and all. The hostas they will eat to the ground and forget about my poor agapanthus I have/had everywhere in the yard, they are just little green nubs now.

Thank you both for the great advice! I think I will work in some fertilizer and some aged manure into the designated new bed before the rains come. As for Superstition Gardens, they will hear from me next season. Not too far of a drive for me to visit them too.

Cheers!

I would contact Superstition next spring and inquire about a visit. That would be a treat.

I've never been there, or met either of the guys, but in e-mailing ,back and forth over the years, I've got the idea they are both SUPER nice fellas....Arlyn

Nothing like a first hand look at the bloom to help you make choices. The pictures are always nice, but the real thing sure can be breath taking. Just have lots of money in the ol' check book when you get there,

Cuz if you're anything like the rest of us, there won't be much left when you leave!!!

They do have a $3 section of nice older plants (not historics) different section for those. yes, they are nice guys.

Here is a picture I took of Superstition Gardens last year when I visited them.
Dennis

Superstition sends out very nice sized rhizomes for the price. I am trying to add some of the medal winners such as Paul Black and Dusky Challenger to my collection, as well as this year's eye grabbers. This year it was Brazillian Art, and Action Packed that I couldn't resist!

My "Must Have's" are Historic. I can't live without China Maid or Rosy Wings!!
There are sooo many fantastic colors for irises- good luck!

Hugs- Christy

Yep, Superstition is great. There are plenty of other good commercial growers, too. It's interesting that there haven't been a lot responses to the original question that have taken the form of a list. And as I was trying to think what I would put on such a list I think I kind of figured out why: We have too many favorites and there's rarely a situation in which we have to choose among all of the ones we like (for often different reasons). Every year the AIS runs a popularity poll (called the "Symposium") and publishes a top 100. You might enjoy having a look at the 2007-2012 results:

http://www.irises.org/About_Ir...

If you dig into how the poll is conducted, you'll discover that it's very heavily weighted toward recent introductions. So, since I'm big fan of historic irises, the Symposium is a little frustrating. Some historics I wouldn't want to be without:



This NOID is the first iris I grew, obviously a pallida of some kind. I like it for sentimental reasons but also because it is the very definition of hardy and has a delicate periwinkle color that's especially beautiful in the evening and a really strong pleasant fragrance.


Prairie Flame (H. P. Sass 1942)


Changing Lights (H. E. Sass 1955)


Persian Robe (H. E. Sass 1954)

I've recently become converted to "Stepping Out," which I never thought that I would recommend, since plicatas aren't generally my favorites. But a clump of Stepping Out is just hard to beat.

make mine, "Wabash"!...Arlyn

Prairie Flame is beautiful with the pallida noid. Is it the one that smells like grape koolaid? I love historics, too, especially the ones that survive nearly anything. The early yellow flavascens is one that I inheirited with my house; I kind of ignored it for years, but it survived total neglect. Last year I divided it and made a nice semi circle of it at the back of my front bed, and I was so delighted with how it looked. I like to try some of the new prima donnas, but gradually I am amassing a collection of hard core survivors.