A really good grower that I like quite well is Ninja Turtles. I was very sad to see that Schreiner's quit carrying it as of this fall.

grannysgarden said:Sometimes we grow a plant/flower that seems common because it is so hardy that everyone grows it. I guess the rare ones are sometimes more valued. I am going to list one that may be thought to be so common that it is not special. SDB Cat's Eye



I grow this one in both a south and north facing garden to extend the bloom time. It has a lovely color. This will be one i always grow.

The common and hardy irises are most appreciated here, Bonnie. I grow this iris as well and hope that in time it will flower as freely for me as it seems to do in some gardens.

tveguy3 said:One I got from Bonnie that I really like and grows well is Rainbow Rim.

• Standard Dwarf Bearded Iris (Iris 'Rainbow Rim')
• Uploaded by tveguy3

Great looking clump, Tom!

William said:The common and hardy irises are most appreciated here, Bonnie. I grow this iris as well and hope that in time it will flower as freely for me as it seems to do in some gardens.

William and Bonnie ~ I got Cat's Eye for a bonus plant from McClure & Zimmerman. I put it in a large pot so I would be sure to see it. I have a few more little ones, but for now, they are NOIDs, since they are in my perennial beds. Maybe it will bloom the first year....

janwax said:Here's an sdb that I've been wanting.

• Standard Dwarf Bearded Iris (Iris 'Worry Wart')
• Uploaded by KentPfeiffer

Ooooo, that one's a beauty, Jan, and now I want it too! (Plus the name kind of fits me... )

Marilyn and Jan ~ Yes, that is a lovely iris!

Bonnie ~ You mentioned in another thread, that the smaller irises had different requirements than the tall bearded irises. What do they need differently?

We had a fall bloom on Worry Wart, just planted in July
Asa got a pic, opening, 9-29 (I took another one later but I don't know where it is)

evermorelawnless said:Think this is going to be our only fall one this year. Pretty little thing, though.

Here are a couple MDBs in the rock garden with mini daffs-- Wise and Be Brief-- (thank you @4susiesjoy ! it was her photos in the contest a few years back and kindness in sharing iris that made me put in a new rock garden and become all obsessed with the little guys )
they were just planted summer 2016, so this was their first spring here

in my mind, they will all become little carpets of early spring blooms soon enough and I will need to share

I have only had this one SBD, for a long enough time to have a big clump (a couple of them actually, cuz it grows like a dang weed)

it is not fitting so well in that spot between the rocks any more and I need to thin it out; you can see it still blooms it's fool head off, though
It used to be my favorite because it was the only one I had
I can't pick a favorite now, but I'm super excited to see a bunch more new to me ones next year

Elf Esteem has only been in my garden a short while, and already clumping up pretty well. Enough that I could share a bit this summer.

evelyninthegarden said:
Bonnie ~ You mentioned in another thread, that the smaller irises had different requirements than the tall bearded irises. What do they need differently?

Evelyn, i guess if you lived in northern climes you may be able to treat the dwarf iris (MDB's) like the smallest median iris (SDB;s). In my zone - 7A - many local iris growers do not attempt to grow the dwarfs (MDB's). The growers plant them along with other bearded irises and the growing conditions here do not encourage them to survive. They require a longer period of chill/winter weather. They also do not like to be planted in all day sun or any afternoon sun in August. I grow my dwarfs (MDB's) in pots and move them to north facing slopes during the winter and sometimes if we have a cooler winter or snow they do better. I move the pots after the trees leaf out to a spot under an oak where they get dappled sunshine on the hottest days. In my area they also require more water during the hottest days of summer.

I can grow the smallest of the median class bearded irises (SDB's) along with my other irises. They actually seem hardier than some of the taller, newer TB's when given the same growing conditions. I give them the same treatment as the taller irises and they seem to clump faster. Because they are shorter and have smaller rhizomes they need to be planted closer to walkways or entryways so that you can enjoy them better. If planted behind the taller beardeds they will be lost to view.

There are exceptions to every rule. Many new MDB's that are being created in the south do well in this zone. They also are tall for their class and have the same habits of some SDB's. Also, if you trace an irises ancestry you will be able to make an educated guess about which ones will do well, or at least better than others, in your area.

The first dwarfs (MDB's) I bought were from Schreiners many years ago and it was just 'a shot in the dark'. I still have most of them but some are sporadic performers. They can stay here as long as they live but if they decide that this area is not where they want to live I will not replace them.

It is really hard for me to decide what to post of the SDB's. There are soooo many that are my favorite and most floriferous. SDB Naples Syrup comes to mind.....



This one blooms off and on all spring and early summer. The form is round and when there are multiple blooms it looks like a bouquet. It has a lovely color in a spring garden.

I will have to add SDB Oregon Paydirt...


I got this one as an intro and it has increased and bloomed like a champion. In 2016 the first bloomstalks were destroyed in a hail storm and a month later it put up more bloomstalks. I also like the color. It is hard for me to capture it and my photographic skills are totally lacking but it is worth a spot in any iris garden.

This is a tall one for an SDB.....




SDB Betsy Boo. It is an older one but grows like a weed. I have moved it all about and it never skips a beat. Gardeners in different climes that i have shared this one with say they have experienced the same type of growing habits. Gotta love an obstinate iris.

This is one that you cannot keep from touching. It blooms early and the purple on the standards is so velvety and dark you will just have to touch it.

SDB Ballistic


It is not the fastest increaser here but has never failed to bloom in spring.

Two that are not glamorous but have never failed to bloom....
SDB Baltic Blue


SDB Blue Pools

one of my favs that increases well and never fails to bloom is SDB Fancy Sparkler



I have this one in a pot as well as in the garden. I move the pot near the front door so i can see it up close when i come and go. Fancy Sparkler is a apt name. It really does sparkle in the sun.

And for those who love a brown iris you have SDB Drambuie


SDB Little Chestnut


SDB Little Mohee


and SDB Indian Pow Wow


These are older varieties but have really stood the test of time.

Bonnie, thanks for posting this SDB collection. I am enjoying the show while our outside temperature is "officially" 10F (-12 Celsius). I somehow had Betsey Boo disappear from my gardens; it was always a great little iris! So keep the photos coming for your north country fans!
Here are a couple scenes from my iris gardens this morning. (Edited to ask if you also have Kiss Me Quick from Blyth?)

You have quite a collection of littles, Bonnie! Jury's out on just how well they'll do in my CA garden, but some look promising. I've added quite a few.

Bonnie, because of your pictiures I've added a few this last year too. Hope they bloom in 2018!

Thanks Jan. Oh, my, Leon. 10 degrees with snow..... I hate to say this to you but i still have an iris blooming. I am glad I don't have snow. On average we get a snow every two to three years but sometimes we have a really warm winter or a really snowy winter.

Yes i grow SDB Kiss Me Quick



It is such a lovely pink with a beard that blends in. It has a long bloom period. Some irises are like a comet. They come in with a flash with many blooms at once and you can't take your eyes off them and then just as quickly they are gone until another year. Then there are the ones that bloom for weeks opening a few buds at a time. KMQ is one of the elegant little bloomers that greet you over a period of weeks in the garden.

Me too, Barbara. I have been moaning that I did not get rain for months this summer and in extreme drought for so long that i don't know if i will get many blooms. Arlyn tells me i will.... so i am not worried.

Here is one that grows like a weed. It has probably already been posted.

SDB Teagan


It is sky blue and white with a golden beard is often called turquoise. It has no purple influence,



There are not many irises that are this color and so adds value to a spring garden. Hardy and reliable spring bloomer. I tend to love the ones that want to bloom each spring.