Mini-Irises!

What A Wonderful Collection u have Spritz , thanx 4 sharing your Story&Pics :)

Wow, Jac - that was quick! Glad you liked it. :-))

All those Pretty Little Flowers who wouldnt/couldnt like your Iris Blog Spritz? :)

Great blog Spritz. I've added to my favourites. I didn't realise there are so many different ones.

Thanks, Toto - nor did i! I saw one with a label that said 'Edward' - but I put him next to 'George' and I thought they were exactly the same.

I think I'm going to have to look around to see which ones I can get ready for next year.

If you find any new ones, do please let me know! :-)

beautiful, i can imagine them altogether in a border i like the katharine pretty patterns..:o)

They are all so beautiful, what a great collection and more to follow I suspect. Close up I would imagine the markings are exquisite. Mine are only just peeking through the earth.

Great blog Spritz......glad to see George get several mentions...lol :o)

Of course he did! Did you see that he has an identical twin? lol.

Dawn - that's the lot unless I find some more!

Joan - yes, I have a circular bed where we planted three Silver Birch trees last spring - I'm going to plant all the potted ones in there. :-))

I lost mine when I tried mini-irises. Do they need good drainage?

I noticed late this afternoon that my iris reticulata are in flower as well. I'll try to remember to photograph them tomorrow

That plant setting sounds perfect.

Yes, Sarah - I'm sure they do, as the bulbs are so tiny.

Andrew - are yours named ones? Any 'different' ones? ;-))

Dawn - I was looking straight past it - then realised that it was crying out for some colour!

I can just imagine all that colour next to the birch trunks, perfect.

They're not white yet - but we were told that they don't take long!

Ours were set a tiny whips and I would say they developed white trunks around 4 years later :-)

Oh dear - that's a long time! I think ours were bigger than whips, though - and they've been in a year, so I shall take a look at progress tomorrow. ;-)

Thanks - I still have to go for 'George', though lol.

"George" is the only one we have at present, but, like you, am wanting more. Just spotted I. reticulata "Pixie" in a garden centre the other day. might have to go back for "her". :-))

Love your new found jewels Spritz, dont think I could pick a favourite I loved them all.

i can understand why you have become addicted barbara they are so pretty, think i like the blues and purples best, rather than yellow, may try myself next year :o))

Love them all Barbara simply beautiful, plant collecting is an obsession, I did it with hardy geraniums, violas, sempervivums, hostas, ferns. grasses, clematis, and now succulents, I have only to see a new one and I just have to have it, luckily they tend to be fairly cheap otherwise I shall end up on queer street !!!!lol

I love Irises,both the mini and the common and garden type flag, didn`t realise quite how many mini`s there are tho.......

There are also I. reticulata "Edward", "Gordon, "Pauline" and "Violet Beauty", that I know of, Spritz - just to help you along? :-)

These are lovely :-)))

I like making new plant collections ...... i'll be watching your mini iris collection from now on !!!

Thanks....and I've been researching too. I found the ones you've named, David - plus 'J.S. Dyt'. The label on 'Edward' at that GC must have been wrong - he isn't purple at all!

I was going to say "I like ....... one" but unfortunately I like them all and my poor garden will sink with all the new plants I want!
Another lovely blog Spritz and your photography is second to none!

Thanks, Ian...that's kind. Actually, you could fit a few of these in...remind me when it's autumn, and I'll send you a few bulbs for next year - they're tiny!.

You have so many . I didn't realise there were all those types. That means I'll have to look for some different ones for next year.

Now don't tell me you won't enjoy that, Hywel! lol.

lol - I'm looking forward to it allready ;o)

:-))))) You could buy a few in pots at the moment to keep you happy - then you'd know which bulbs to buy - your favourite one/s.

Now that's a goo idea. Thanks :o)

All the GCs have them at the moment. :-)

picked this up today. went to bed 9 ish last night absolutely shattered.
thanks for the blog it is gorgeous. there are stacks of iris species and hybrids too. talk more later tonight all being well.

Now step away from the Irises!!! lol There must be a National Collection of them somewhere.....and if there isn't, well then there's a mission for you!! They really are quite exquisit aren't they :-) I must say I feel the same way about bearded irises....5 varieties and counting!

Lovely blog Spritz,
I have tried them in pots but in our badly drained garden they seem to disappear fairly quickly. Will try again though - you have inspired me too!

This is great because I've fallen in love with these this spring although I've always liked Iris and about 10 yrs ago I did an Iris cross stitch. My first one to flower I now know is a Purple Gem I bought them as mixed bulbs and shared some with a friend and we were talking about them at a garden centre this morning. I like to see them in with daffodils.

Do you mean you 'can' see them with daffodils - or you'd like to? LOL. My daffodils are still tight buds. No chance of a twosome this year! :-((

Mine are the same but I remember buying a bouquet of spring flowers for my Mum for Christmas the first year I was working and it was daffodils and Iris I think they compliment each other well.

Lovely colection enjoyed your blog and looking at the lovely photos

Gorgeous photo's Spritz,they are so dainty aren't they.I have just got 'Harmony' with some miniature daffs.I need to replant a miniature rose in a terracotta pot which the frost has almost broken in two !

you will get dutch iris and daffs together and there are lots of them too.

I am hoping some more of mine will be open soon.

"Edward" should be a definite bright blue, Spritz. With I. reticulata blooming later here, I still have some time before buying "Pixie". Will check on the bulbs' progress in the GC before buying some nice, strong ones.

Good thinking, David. Funny that they'd labelled poor 'Edward' wrongly!

I love all these iris Spritz, I'm just beginning to discover their beauty, but I have a long way to catch up with you :)))))

Thanks, Grindle. After some research, I found 24 different names - I only have 9 of them!!!! I can't see me tracking down all of those...:-(((((

Hello Barbara

I can understand the obsession! the markings on them are truly remarkable aren't they.

I particularly like the "Alida" a lovely blue and striking markings, I think I need to go shopping!

Now is a good time, while they're in flower - so you can choose your favourites, Mick.

Love all your Irises, Spritzhenry! Wonderful blog!
How about I.reticulata "Alba" with snow-white flowers?
Are you interested only in bulb Irises? You know, there is a group of Pumila - mini-irises with rhizomes. :)

Thanks, Uma - I'll make a note of the 'Alba' which isn't on my list - it's growing all the time!

I think I shall stick to the bulbous ones, simply because of space.:-)

I planted a few different types in my gravel last year... but so far I'm seeing nothing... looking at your photos I can't wait now till our weather warms up enough for them to show face!

Space...space...:))

Make sure you take photos, Clematisa, won't you - and with their names if you have them, as well! :-))

Uma - I could do with twice the growing space I have - and this is a big garden! :-))))))

Then, what about some new obsessions? ;)))
Good luck with your collection of Irises! I'm sure, you'll find many new ones for your garden.

I found several more today, Uma! :-))

Great!!! Looking forward to knowing their names and seeing your pics!

This looks like an addiction you will never want to cure! They're all so lovely.

Spritz, why are you doing this to us.....do you want us all to become addicts??????? Alida is stunning....oh nooooo:-(

I've just finished planting them all out in the circular bed where the new birch trees are - and I had a disappointment. Two of the 'new' ones I found had different labels in the pots from what's printed on the side. So they're duplicates! Never mind - I still love 'em.

Why not be an addict? This addiction is better for your health than some others, after all! LOL.

Lovely blog, Spritz! :-) Many, many years ago (back at the end of the '60s) I started to grow some of these mini-Irises. I had I. reticulata & I. danfordiae. I loved them but when I went to Spain in '72 I had to leave everything. :-( Couldn't very well take all my plants with me, could I? :-(

I'm not sure if I ever grew them in Spain. But I love them & I saw some in flower just today in somebody's garden.

Thanks, Balcony. Couldn't you grow some in a pot next year? They're so lovely to have in the garden/your space!

We got our I. reticulata "Pixie", Spritz. Yippee! :-))

Good - I did too, David - I planted them in the circular bed yesterday. :-)))

Any other different ones around?

Have a look on http://rareplants.co.uk - they have quite a selection of Iris including the reticulatas. You'll be drooling!

Thanks - I certainly will!

I could grow some in a pot, they could go in with the Crocuses that are flowering so magnificently now. The problem is that in the same pot there are Fuchsia cutting from last year! I trimmed them back a few weeks ago when the Crocuses began to appear but I haven't checked to see if they are still alive. I've kept them in the greenhouse on the nights we are forecast frost, not for the Crocuses but for the Fuchsias. I only put the pots in the greenhouse when we are forecast frost, like the last couple of nights. I bring them out & put them in the rings on the balcony railing half way through the morning where they stay till nightfall.

Being as my balcony has so little space I have very few permanent plants. I mostly ring the changes a couple of times a year with the summer & winter bedding.

It must be difficult to decide what to grow - these little irises are possibly not for you, unless you could have a pot just for spring bulbs, and keep it stored for the summer and winter.

Hi Spritz, did you see GW on Friday.I've been a little concerned as Carol said that the majority, barring Iris reticulata ‘Katharine Hodgkin’ will only come up once but I see your's survive. Do you lift them or leave them in the ground.

Yes, Dawn - I almost shouted at her for saying that! I like her, but she's wrong on that one. I leave them in the ground, and I'm hoping that all the ones I've planted will come up again. 'Purple Gem' and 'Natasha' have flowered for at least three years - maybe four for P.G.

That's reassuring Spritz as I thought if the bulbs needed to be baked in summer sun to survive, as she suggested, they wouldnt stand a chance. I'm so pleased you've said your's return, I can now live in hope.

I shall too - all those potfuls I collected! She got me worried, until I realised that I do have some that come up again. I. danfordiae did, too - it got sat on last year AND this! LOL.

I guess it must be warm enough in Somerset to bake those rhizomes dry! I too saw the programme and had decided that was mine have disappeared!

No - it's a damp area - we get the westerly winds here. It's not usually 'hot', even in a good year, just milder than some other areas!

Last Summer wasnt a good one even in your area I dont think Spritz, so that was a good test. I thought I would have to write mine off and invest in Katharine Hodgkin next time.

I may well plant some more Katharine Hodgkin in the autumn anyway - I've only got two small clumps of her.

I think I'll do the same Spritz :-)

She is rather nice, isn't she. :-))

lovely ....

Hallo Cristina - nice to see you with my little Irises! :-))