I mean, you could enable me to buy them all, too, but I've got my Husband to pick two already, and I can't decide on the last 2. I'm thinking 4 isn't too many...right?

Anyway, here are the ones I can't seem to pick between:

Dance the Night Away


Louisa's Song


Undercurrent Bearded


Impressionist Bearded


Blowing Kisses



For reference, my Husband has chosen:

Cloud Ballet Reblooming


and Fashion Queen Bearded





TIA! And yes I saw they will ship in the fall, I'm just starting to plan things now because I am a somewhat busy (and maybe a bit nutty) mama of 2 little kids and 2 furry ones.

Hi Amber and Welcome! It's always hard to decide, just buy them all, you will in the end anyway, Just so you know some of the colors are not right on some vendor websites, so you will want to check our data base and look at the pictures there to make sure you like them. I have Louisa's Song from above, and it's a good grower and bloomer, however your picture is not a true representation of it's colors.

P/S: I also grow Undercurrent, and the color seems close on your picture.

Amber !!
Tom told you straight....just buy 'em all ! Seriously, they are ALL nice iris, and choice depends on your 'favorite "colors, and perhaps how well the colors will go with whatever else is sharing the area. Perhaps you might want to consider a few median iris, as well, for the front of the bed ?!

Definitely compare the iris you want with the pictures in our database.

The iris can look so different from the vendor shot, for example compare your picture of Louisa's Song with a couple from the database:



You should do that for each one you have narrowed it down to and hopefully that will help you decide. And to you for having the willpower to only buy 4!!!

they will not be blooming at the same time necessarily, so there is no need to coordinate colors. They all look good. I agree with Tom on the pictures from vendors.

I hope you are ordering from an iris vendor and not some mail order thing like Brecks. You will not get the right plants from some of those places. Louisa's Song is wonderful in every way. I have had Cloud Ballet from a garden shop for 5 years and it has never bloomed. I think it is a beauty though.

Amber,
In your zone be careful of late planting. Frost comes too early often and roots must have time to get a good start to survive the winter. I am in 6a and my only losses were those planted in mid to late September with killer frost around Oct 10 or so.

All good advice from the others, especially to stay away from the big sellers like Breck's and box stores. Check the vendor list in the forums or on cubits for better choices. Also leave some room in the garden for postage only offers from many on the forums.

Welcome and enjoy the forums and the irises.

For whatever it's worth, Impressionist -- a spectacularly beautiful Iris -- is very finicky about its growing conditions. If you're new to Iris, you might want to put that one on your *someday list* for after you have a handle on what Irises need to thrive in your particular geography.

And BTW -- Amber!!

Misawa77 said:they will not be blooming at the same time necessarily, so there is no need to coordinate colors. They all look good. I agree with Tom on the pictures from vendors.

I am doing it wrong I just kinda throw them in the ground as I pull them from the box,pot or bag with no regard to color.Empty spot and plant in my hand in the ground it goes.So far it all seems to be working out.
I am a plopper
Drives my husband batty he wants it all neat and symmetrical.

Go for them all.

Welcome Amber!

Wow, so many great responses! I'm only a gardening newb, to be honest. We didn't own our first home until 3 years ago (WI at the time, we just relocated to NY) and I had a baby and a toddler and well...we mostly just did edibles. Well, I did gladiolas but they fell over.

I don't know how this particular forum's multiquote works yet, but I don't know just yet when to plant Irises. Why should I avoid Brecks? Is it not a good place to order from? I'll take alternate suggestions, I'm a good advice-taker. I want to go to some local nurseries and scope them out but since we don't yet have our own place I've just been planning and pining, so far.

I didn't realize the vendor pictures could differ so greatly, but I'll look at our forum pictures! Thanks for all the warm welcomes. I think I'll probably learn a lot here!

DaveinPA said:Amber,
In your zone be careful of late planting. Frost comes too early often and roots must have time to get a good start to survive the winter. I am in 6a and my only losses were those planted in mid to late September with killer frost around Oct 10 or so.

All good advice from the others, especially to stay away from the big sellers like Breck's and box stores. Check the vendor list in the forums or on cubits for better choices. Also leave some room in the garden for postage only offers from many on the forums.

Welcome and enjoy the forums and the irises.

Thanks for the tip about planting, I'm so new to this area (we got here in late March!). Since you're in the same zone as me, when do you prefer to plant your spring bulbs?


Lastly I am only limiting to 4 *for now*. My children and I are flower nuts so we're planning to pretty much buy ALL the flowers. We can't help it.

I have had great luck planting the rhizomes from May through August with supplemental watering as necessary when new to the soil until the roots take, even taking blooming plants and putting them in the ground which the blossoms don't like, but they survive well. Leave room for them to grow outward with the new increases.

At the top of the iris forum list is one just on vendors. Brecks and other mail order catalog places are not "specialists" in irises, also Lowes and WalMart are not good places. Too often they sell you misidentified ones.

and Amber! A reputable seller is the only sure way to get what you want. It's cost effective, too. With children in your home, you'll know what I mean. If you happen to get the wrong plant, the good ones will send you a replacement or refund you. Breck's and the big box stores probably won't. Breck's makes all kinds of promises but they don't deliver. Meanwhile, you planting window get smaller and smaller. Big box stores will take returns but there again, you're out the gas money and time. A local nursery that you trust is also a good source.

Okay, I didn't realize I was on this soapbox. Huh. I'm getting off now.

Again and good luck!

The only thing I really care about is what it looks like. That might be sacrilege, I don't know. But I would be upset if I ordered Cloud Ballet and got a yellow one, or something. I need to get out and check out the local nurseries more. We do have a Garden Factory, which is awesome. I don't know about their irises, however. I'll probably buy bulbs from the vendor list and save Garden Factory for outdoor plants instead of bulbs.

Also I don't mind the soapbox. I'm not at the "experienced gardener" level yet, I'll take all the soapboxing I can get.

We were all where you are once. I'm not as far advanced as some of these folks. I've only been doing this 11 years or so. I have learned more here than anywhere else. These folks are the best.

Amber,
You can always do a post of what you'd like to get to find out if anyone has some extras to send you.

I could do that! I'm a little shy though.

Don't be shy -- a pure waste of time. Don't forget, extra Irises are a by-product of every successful Iris gardener and every one of those gardeners wants to find people who will take those extras. Otherwise, we have to throw them on the compost pile -- and that about kills us. So speak up!!!