Iris Honey Glaze

That is absolutely beautiful Nancy! I love to see other people's Iris opinion here, as I don't have good soil or room in the sun to grow them.

What a beauty. Having failed to grow them well in good conditions, I then moved them and for the last 15 years I have planted mine in very thin and poor soil in the back of my rockery which is very open and where they get a good baking. I also cut back the foliage after flowering to allow the sun to reach the heart of the clump and encourage better flowering.

I love irises, one of the few plants deer or rabbit will not touch. The blooms do not last long but will repeat several times if they are deadheaded. They always look so majestic and they are so many beautiful varieties. My will grow in fairly poor acidic soil...because all the Douglas firs around .
There's a huge difference between old iris and newer hybrids. Some of the conflicting advice on care reflects the differences between them. Old iris, along with vigorous recent intros, can perform in poor soil and less sun .... but they do need some sun.

Irises are indeed my favorites. I agree that some of the old iris varieties are pretty hardy and do what they want. It seems the less attention I give them, the better they like it although I do thin them out from time to time and cut out the soft rot areas when I find them. Some years I get very few blooms regardless of how well I look after them .I have had many new iris that have bloomed only once and then they never come back again.It is most rewarding when a new plant decides to establish itself and blooms more than one season. That is part of the gardening challenge wouldn't you agree?!

Sun is a must for bearded iris , though Siberian iris will do fine with a mix of sun and shade , Wind and rain can spoil those long awaited blooms as well so I will stake those that need it and deadhead daily to save the stems from bending.