My soil is red clay without much overlay of topsoil. Mostly I amend it as best I can before planting. Like any bearded iris, ABs do better with good drainage. I have two areas where they have been the most durable. One is between the crevices of a limestone outcrop at the top of a hill. The soil there has caught oak leaves and other debris over a long, long time and other than picking it out and loosening it I didn't change it. The ABs planted there proved to be durable over a long period of time. The other was a raised bed where the existing gravelly red clay was amended and then 4" of creek sand put on top. The AB rhizomes were planted in the sand layer where the roots go into the clay. They they've been left alone for a long time. Both those situations can be a bit difficult to work with. A lot of the ABS here are grown beside and among TBs with about the same survival rate. There it's just amended clay. I'd say a lot would probably do well for you.
Every time I went outside to work today, it would rain enough to send me back inside. I worked on getting my photos labeled. Arilbreds are winding down here now. Still have some TBs coming for a little while. That rain should help them all
Photos left t right - 'New Vision', 'Dune', and 'Bronze Falcon':
Left to right - 'Mount Mazama', 'Lu's Child' and 'Aztec Prince':
Left to right - 'Turkish Tangent', 'Pride of Alabama', and 'Charming Image':
And another string - 'Kalifa's Fortune', 'Summer Sunset', and 'Mohric Mystery':
The most fun for me are seedlings I haven't seen before. The good, the bad and the ugly - they are all fun:
All in all it has been a good season. All the nasty weather that's been around gave me a miss this year except for some late frosts which ended up doing minimal damage to the iris patch. I have to enjoy that when it happens
I have been enjoying your photos Donald! I'm sorry the arils are coming to an end for you.
I have only 1 arilbred and that's Shaman's Magic. For a plant in it's first year that is still living in a pot it is doing amazingly well! I has been blooming non-stop for a couple weeks. I think the 2 blooms on it today are going to be the last for the year.
I'm definitely going to get more ABs. I have Tul Kerem and Arabian Archer on order and have a trade planned for Alakazam, but after seeing them at Superstition a couple weeks ago I'm going to have to add a few more!!! Especially Jonnye's Magic, Bold Awakening, and Sand Dancer!