The 2009 season is beginning!

[Garden_of_Mu]

My first iris of 2009 opened this past few days. A cute little deep purple reticulata. Don't let the color fool you - it's my camera acting up This is a deep rich purple in person.

[AnjaP]

Hi Mike,
your iris is very nice, I love it. Here in Germany it is still unusually cold and snowy. I suppose I will have to wait until March until I see my reticulatas blooming.
Anja

[Garden_of_Mu]

Here's that little i. danfordiae I've waited years to see in person. My first attempt at planting at my last garden failed. They all rotted over the winter. Well drained soil here got me to try again. Isn't it cute?

[LucyGoose]

Yes, very cute indeed!!

[Dirtpig120]

Wow glad to see someone has some color,beautifull

[Garden_of_Mu]

Another...

[pauhaus]

Great pics Mike, a very welcome relief to bleakness of winter here. Thanks for posting. Looking forward to seeing more.

[Liselotte]

Anja, you said it, it's cold in Northern Europe!

a few days ago!

[PennyG]

That is so pretty

[newtohosta-no more]

That snow if very pretty, but it sure does look like there is a lot of it on top of that roof!!

Mike...the Iris pics are gorgeous. It is very nice to see such vibrant colors. We're still months away before my Iris might bloom. I say "might" , because they didn't bloom last year. I was told that it is not unusual for new ones, planted just the year before in late summer, to not produce blooms in their first year. I'm hoping they will bloom this year.

[caliloo]

Lovely iris pics - they sure to bring a shot of spring color, don't they! We are a ways from seeing any iris too - although my Witchazel are blooming and hellebores have buds.

Thanks for the purty pics!

Alexa

[Garden_of_Mu]

Joan- In my experience only about 1 in 3 bearded irises will bloom their first spring in the garden. Those that don't bloom first year generally do the second. Few take three years, but there are some out there that really want to settle in before showing off. If they do bloom the first year they will often take the second one off. The third spring in is usually the best show. The clumps are usually large and established and they produce multiple bloomstalks all going at once. After 4 to 5 years, depending on variety, clumps may become overcrowded and rhizomes start growing atop each other and can't get new roots into the dirt. Blooms will be spotty or cease in these conditions.

There are always other factors and exceptions, but in general that is the life cycle and bloom expectancy.

We've had some nice sunny days recently and the fans are all greening up well and starting to rise.

[newtohosta-no more]

Thanks for the info, Mike. I can certainly wait for blooms , even another year, if they they will be larger. I guess I'm just anxious that they won't bloom ever. I'll just keep an eye out the next year or so and see what happens.