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Respected Contributor
Posts: 4,106
Registered: ‎03-28-2010

I've lived in my neighborhood for 6 years now.  I never noticed before the irises throughtout the neighborhood.  They are TALL, dark purple and just what I was looking for in a certain spot around my home but I can't find them anywhere.  I've shopped all the local garden stores and even a more expensive place that were always full of helpful information but nothing.  Can these be bought already in bloom/tall with flowers?  Or is this a bulb?  Should I be looking for bulbs?

Trusted Contributor
Posts: 1,934
Registered: ‎05-09-2014

You plant bulbs and they grow up into plants that flower year after year. They are so prolific they can be easily divided and replanted to other parts of the garden. You might ask a neighbor to give you some of their bulbs if they are willing to divide their bed. 

Here is a site (among many online bulb retailers) that sells iris bulbs of every color and variety. If you scroll down the page it gives you a complete guide to planting anf growing 


Removed link to another retailer.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Honored Contributor
Posts: 43,246
Registered: ‎01-08-2011

I would go to your privately owned  locally garden store or nursery to find out how to help them grow (soil, water) in your area.

 

Wishing you great success!!!

Honored Contributor
Posts: 18,776
Registered: ‎03-13-2010

Amazon 

♥Surface of the Sun♥
Honored Contributor
Posts: 8,035
Registered: ‎03-14-2010

I get upset with myself every spring. My Mom had a beautiful flower bed of bearded  irises. They were a beautiful purple. She had hundreds of daffodils and irises planted in her flower beds.

 

I wish I had taken a few bulbs before I sold the house. I have bought bulbs but they do not look as nice as the iris flower from my Mom's.

 

They are such a welcome sight that spring is here.

 

 

Respected Contributor
Posts: 2,817
Registered: ‎03-14-2010

I wish you lived around me because I would hook you up.  The last two years I have given away a couple hundred of iris after I thinned out my beds.  Mine are much more interesting than just plain purple.  I have several that were prize winners.  Anyway......

the best place to buy iris is Schreiners Gardens dot com.  They have many varieties and colors.  I have my eye on a new one but it's price is $65.  

Iris are easy to grow, even in our clay soil.  They don't require a lot of water but they do like the sun.  They don't like the regular manure fertilizers like other plants, but they like bone meal in the Spring.  Every 3 years I separate mine so they don't get too crowded.  They don't like being planted very deep so it's easy to just cut off one of the rhizomes (they are not bulbs). They will spread out and get crowded, and then they won't bloom very well.  Some are early, mid season, and late.  I have some of each.  After they bloom I cut off the long stem, then in mid summer I trim the fans back.  I cut them short in Fall. 

I doubt you will find any good ones that are blooming and ready to plant now. They need to get established before they perform.  I usually buy mine in July or August and if the rhizome is large enough it might bloom the next Spring.  The only thing I don't like is that they only bloom for a short time in the Spring.  I want more time.  

Respected Contributor
Posts: 2,817
Registered: ‎03-14-2010

@drizzellla wrote:

I get upset with myself every spring. My Mom had a beautiful flower bed of bearded  irises. They were a beautiful purple. She had hundreds of daffodils and irises planted in her flower beds.

 

I wish I had taken a few bulbs before I sold the house. I have bought bulbs but they do not look as nice as the iris flower from my Mom's.

 

They are such a welcome sight that spring is here.

 

 


I'll bet they would give you some if you ask.

Or, you could do a little midnight requisitioning.  Woman Tongue

Respected Contributor
Posts: 4,865
Registered: ‎12-02-2013

 @drizzellla @ScrapHappy @Scooby Doo 

 

When I had trouble dividing my yellow irises, DH created a raised oval flower bed for me.  He loves to see the mountain of yellow each spring !

 

A66AA48A-0ECB-4D18-BD91-7518317F5AB5.jpeg

We make a living by what we get. We make a life by what we give.
Sir Winston Churchill
Respected Contributor
Posts: 2,509
Registered: ‎11-08-2020

@jlkz , those are gorgeous!!!  LM

Respected Contributor
Posts: 4,865
Registered: ‎12-02-2013

@Lilysmom1 

 

The whole thing, believe it or not, started with one iris plant that I bought at a Frank's Nursery and Craft chain store, long since closed.

 

I had set the pot atop my mailbox but over the winter it fell over.  Come spring, it had planted itself below the box and had several stalks popping up !

 

Since then it has multiplied many times over.....I have given away many, many filled shopping bags every time I divided them.

 

They are truly beautiful and have a heavenly scent when you get up very close to a bloom !

 

 

We make a living by what we get. We make a life by what we give.
Sir Winston Churchill