Ponder the Iris — the earthbound rainbow
If you grow Iris, or think about Iris, or know someone who grows or thinks about Iris, then you know that Bearded Iris are among the easiest perennials a person can have the pleasure of planting around their home. Iris are determined plants, duplicating themselves each year, tenaciously rooting themselves in soil, asking little in return by means of water and grooming. They will reward over and over, painting great splashes of color wherever they bloom. But don’t take our word for it (granted, we might be a bit biased)…….
Blogs and newsletters abound espousing the benefits of the Bearded Iris, including their history, culture and more. Societies dedicated to the growing and improvement of Iris exist at the local, national and international level. You might consider joining such a society to learn more about the Iris, and meet other gardeners like yourself. Or if you’re the self-study type, perhaps you’d like reading up on the Iris in a variety of very informative books on the subject. (We carry three such books in our catalog.) You may wish to locate an Iris society in your area and subscribe to their newsletter too. Here we’ve compiled a short list of internet sources offering more information and discussion about the world of the Bearded Iris. This list just scratches the surface, but it will get you started. Our apologies to those we did not include. Nothing personal. Feel free to submit additional links to Iris discussion and education sites in the comment section below!
American Iris Society: on Facebook , and on Twitter (@TweetAIS), World of Irises blog (various contributors, wonderful photos), Tall Bearded Iris Society, Median Iris Society (all about the mid-sized Iris, including the Median Iris, Table Iris and Intermediate Bearded Iris), Dwarf Iris Society (dedicated to the growing, improvement and discussion of the smallest Iris, including Miniature Dwarf Bearded Iris and Standard Dwarf Bearded iris).
Bloom Season 2013
May 10 to June 2
For the Love of Iris 
October 30, 2013 at 9:43 am
This is really an interesting topic, I’m very lucky on your blog, I’ll add this web bookmarks, I’ll subscribe to your blog, and I hope to be able to come around again.
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July 20, 2013 at 3:25 am
I agree, many thanks to the author. Thanks for taking the time to share this,Great blog post. Thanks..cccccc
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April 28, 2013 at 5:46 pm
schreiner’s irises are the best irises i have ever purchased!
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April 24, 2013 at 3:25 pm
I inherited my love of bearded iris from my great-grandmother, I even have some of her white iris that originally came from her yard. My gardens were flooded with salt water during Superstorm Sandy, but let me tell you, they must have loved it because they are growing bigger than last year and I can’t wait for blooms….
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April 24, 2013 at 3:15 pm
I have a big bed of dark red iris, have had them at least 5 years. This year they changed color. they are white. What could have caused it. thanks.
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May 31, 2013 at 10:00 am
We often receive this question. Iris cannot change color. They are bred to possess certain chromosomal qualities, including color. For this reason, they cannot change color any more than you or I could. If you have a white variety planted nearby the red patch, it is possible that the white variety you now see in place of the red is actually a more aggressive variety, which has overgrown or suppressed the red variety by crowding it out. The red variety might be putting up foliage, but not producing bloom stalks because it lacks the energy to do so. A seedling from a white variety may have taken root near the red patch and over time has overgrown the red. The rogue seedling must have developed enough this year to finally put up bloom stalks. You could dig up the patch this summer, thin it out by discarding the spent rhizomes, and replant several of the new shoots, and see what comes up next year. I suspect you might have a white patch and a red patch. Of course, I cannot guarantee that is what you will achieve, but it is a possibility. Keep us informed! We’d love to hear how it all works out. Yours in gardening.
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