My "bearded season" started today, with "Suslik" (John Burton 1995/96). Last year , this was also "first", but, it opened on April 8th, last year....so, spring IS late !

I hope it is a good season for you Arlyn

Annnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnd their offffffff! The race has started! Hope you have a nice bloom season again this year Arlyln. My irises have really grown a bunch in the past couple days with this nice weather. Spring may just have arrived at last.

I am in zone 5-6 in SE Michigan and I do not have any iris that are even thinking about blooms...

I have mostly non beards, but I added many bearded (from a new friend) last year. Maybe next year I will see some earlier blooms:)

Spring at last, Arlyn.

Tom, your blooms are just days away.

frankrichards16 said:I am in zone 5-6 in SE Michigan and I do not have any iris that are even thinking about blooms...

I have mostly non beards, but I added many bearded (from a new friend) last year. Maybe next year I will see some earlier blooms:)

Frank,

I thought you were a peony guy.

Us peony folk aren't one trick ponies, are we, Frank? Room in our gardens for a variety of flowers! My iris collection grew more last year (and will this year as well) than my peony collection. Welcome to yet another flower to obsess over, Frank!

Happy iris season, Arlyn!

arlyn. looking forward to seeing your iris season as it unfolds.

@urania1 @LizinElizabeth

I am just getting started...

Iris, Iris BB 'Bullwinkle', Iris BB 'Flo', Iris BB 'Waters Of Miraba', Iris ensata 'Banjo Blues', Iris ensata 'Center Of Attention', Iris ensata 'Classical Charm', Iris ensata 'Crystal Halo', Iris ensata 'Dragon Mane', Iris ensata 'Enchanted Island', Iris ensata 'First Act', Iris ensata 'Flashing Koi', Iris ensata 'Freckled Peacock', Iris ensata 'Greywoods Antique Blush', Iris ensata 'Greywoods Gypsy Plumes', Iris ensata 'Greywoods Mulberry Cascade', Iris ensata 'Greywoods Vanity Fair', Iris ensata 'Lake Effect', Iris ensata 'Luxor Temple', Iris ensata 'Pinkerton', Iris ensata 'Satozakura', Iris ensata 'Second Wave', Iris ensata 'Silverband', Iris ensata 'Tideline', Iris ensata 'Upson Downs', Iris ensata 'Vintners Pride', Iris ensata 'Wave Action', Iris ensata 'Yamanobe', Iris ensata 'You Won', Iris IB 'Constant Companion', Iris IB 'Mans Best Friend', Iris IB 'Pan For Gold', Iris louisiana 'Michigan Belle', Iris pseudata 'Chance Beauty', Iris pseudata 'Kinshikou', Iris pseudata 'Kinshikou' (Golden Monkey), Iris pseudata 'Kurokawa Noh', Iris pseudata 'Lawton Ridge', Iris pseudata 'Phantom Island', Iris pseudata 'Phantom Island', Iris pseudata 'Tsukiyono', Iris pseudata 'Yukiyanagi', Iris SDB 'Ahwahnee Princess', Iris SDB 'Dark Crystal', Iris SDB 'Stitch Witch', Iris sibirica 'Blueberry Fair', Iris sibirica 'Butter And Sugar', Iris sibirica 'Caesar's Brother', Iris sibirica 'Charming Billy', Iris sibirica 'Charming Billy', Iris sibirica 'Coronation Anthem', Iris sibirica 'Dirigo Indigo', Iris sibirica 'First Frost', Iris sibirica 'First Frost', Iris sibirica 'Fishermans Morning', Iris sibirica 'G3', Iris sibirica 'GeeOne', Iris sibirica 'GeeOne', Iris sibirica 'Golden Edge', Iris sibirica 'Gull's Wing', Iris sibirica 'Handsome Harry', Iris sibirica 'Imperial Opal', Iris sibirica 'Jennasee', Iris sibirica 'Jiggles', Iris sibirica 'Jiggles', Iris sibirica 'Joyce Cole', Iris sibirica 'King of Kings', Iris sibirica 'Lavender Bounty', Iris sibirica 'Rosy Bows', Iris sibirica 'Shall We Dance', Iris sibirica 'Simon Says', Iris sibirica 'Sprinkles', Iris sibirica 'Steve', Iris sibirica 'Steve', Iris sibirica 'Strawberry Fair', Iris sibirica 'tbd', Iris sibirica 'tbd', Iris sibirica 'tbd', Iris sibirica 'tbd', Iris sibirica 'tbd', Iris sibirica 'tbd', Iris sibirica 'tbd', Iris sibirica 'tbd', Iris sibirica 'tbd', Iris sibirica 'tbd', Iris sibirica 'Trim The Velvet', Iris sibirica 'unknown', Iris sibirica 'Vorhies', Iris spuria 'Golden Lady', Iris spuria 'Lemon Dilemma', Iris TB 'Alpine Butterfly', Iris TB 'Alpine Harmony', Iris TB 'Arctic Fox', Iris TB 'Bianca Micheletta', Iris TB 'Bridal Icing', Iris TB 'Catwalk Queen', Iris TB 'Christmas Eve', Iris TB 'Delta Lady', Iris TB 'Destined To Dance', Iris TB 'Drifting', Iris TB 'Fancy A Flutter', Iris TB 'Fortunata', Iris TB 'He Man', Iris TB 'Heavens Reply', Iris TB 'Highland Lord', Iris TB 'Juke Box Hero', Iris TB 'Legerdemain', Iris TB 'Magical', Iris TB 'Navajo Code', Iris TB 'Obi Wan Kenobi', Iris TB 'Show Your Colours', Iris TB 'Smokin', Iris TB 'Stars And Stripes Forever', Iris TB 'Stop Flirting', Iris TB 'Valentino', Iris TB 'White', Iris TB 'Wonders Never Cease'

I hope it rains, tonight...we do have a *chance*.....it's been very dry and I've been watering the trees, and will have to start on the iris beds, too. There are lots of, very small , rhizomes that were "late planted", last year......and between the super cold tamps, no snow cover, and now the dry conditions....they are "suffering". The foliage has "brown tips", already, and isn't a real *healthy looking* green . It is kind of a "catch 22"...if I water...i get rot, and if I DON'T water, they dry up !

Wow what an impressive list, and you say that you're just getting started @Frankrichards.

Really nice collection of Sibs in that list Frank!

Congrats Arlyn on seeing the first of your spring!

I know the feeling Arlyn. I am chancing watering while they are actively growing and blooming. I think they may be less likely to rot than when they are just standing idle. Anyway, that's what i am telling myself.

bud up on Wild whispers. Hope it opens tomorrow.

I saw a dandelion today!

Hey, I like dandelions! There is a family story that says, when my father was five or six years old, he picked every single bloom from all of his grandmother's prized Iris because he wanted to give her pretty flowers. He got into so much trouble, the next time he decided to pick flowers for her, he pulled up all the dandelions he could find and gave THOSE to her instead.

I have very little activity going on. None of the usual suspects show any inclination of blooming anytime soon

Frank, you have more peonies than anyone I know of, and now you are going for hundreds of iris. Nice to see some ensatas on your list.

Greg! Long time no hear. Hope you guys get a break from all the bad weather so iris can start for you.