Iris germanica - leading me down the garden path

They look wonderful Siris :-)
I dug up a couple of boring carex pendula last week have far to many of them and a greenhouse full of much prettier plants waiting for a gap, they took some shifting OH had to give me a hand lifting them into the council bin, but its amazing just how many plants have filled their space :-)

They are absolutely terrific, such glorious colours! I never seem to get the condition right for Iris's, either planted too deep, too much vegetation taken over around them or something eats the tops of the tubers. We have one row of bearded Iris's (unknown purples), the left side flowers happily, the right side not as it is usually swamped with mint. One day I will have to have them out and re-do the bed and get rid of the mint - fat chance probably.

P.S. Forgot to say I have never seen an Artichoke in flower, aren't they stunning?

And a very nice path to be lead down too!

wonderful planting and such an array of colour.

I am green with envy, Siris. I do love irises but have similar problems to Honeysuckle in trying to get them to establish. Last year I bought three new ones - all different colours - which made a stunning display. I did all the right things, I thought, but no luck. This year I have chewed rhizomes ( not personally) displaying maybe a few inches of green sward and no suggestion that flowers will be forthcoming. So disappointing! Some varieties do perform, but not the more flamboyant ones.
Anyway, grumble over, just looking at your display again has lifted my spirits and the greenish tinge to my skin has quite faded.

Thanks Tuesdaybear You were lucky to get newly- bought to flower ( if bought bare rooted). I bought a " Night Owl" from The Range as a bare- rooted which amazed me by flowering but is now sulking. I have some which put on a super display, but then are slow to produce new rhizomes. I think it depends on the variety. Be patient, but try to keep the slugs and snails off those small leaves, difficult with all this rain. Good Luck
Ps liked your garden in your last blog.

Thank you Honeysuckle for the comments on the Iris. They can be a bit time consuming, you have outlined some of the problems. Ref. the artichoke - they are gorgeous flowers, on an architectural plant ( read enormous). I am going to put one ( easily grown from root cuttings) next to my Acanthus and let them fight it out. My money is on the Acanthus.

Thanks, Siris. I bought the iris already about to bloom, not bare-rooted. I have 2 cardoons in front garden but no sign of a flower stem as yet, Really, they are probably too big for the front garden but seem so happy where they are that I'm loath to disturb them. I just hope they will flower and I imagine that the birds will appreciate the seedheads afterwards.

They're beautiful. I never knew there were so many different varieties. I'll have to get one for my garden.

You are right about the size. I probably cut off the flower head after it flowered, 'cause the stem was covered in black fly. We do get 'charms' of Gold Finches, I expect they would like them.

I too never realised how many different colours were about until a few years ago, I do have lots of blue, both dark and light however I cannot seem to get new ones to establish, have to try again, yours look lovely....

Hi Hywel, Start with an easy one, like the blue,scented Jane Phillips for instance or early yellow(my name). Easily sourced and increases well, all my neighbours have these now.

Thanks. I'll be looking for it :)