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15/05/2008, 15:21 phylisbide Joined on 10/01/2005 Posts 27 Re: Irises If they are bearded iris, the rhizomes should be in the sun to thrive - they like a good dry summer. Folklore also says that they should point South - the opposite end from where the leaf comes. I have a border full of them, planted quite randomly rather than as per the folklore,  and they get no attention at all through the summer in 24, but every year they come up trumps - or is that trumpets - of big, blowsy flowers. Phylis Bide (a rose)    Report

19/05/2008, 20:07 LyndaandRichard Joined on 01/05/2005 Posts 852 Re: Irises The flowers are on the brink of coming out now. Looks like there'll be around 12 flowers, 8 black and 4 yellow. Very chuffed. By the way, is the term 'flags' used on irises? I remember my mum calling something in her garden flags, and I think they might have been irises, but am not sure. Impossible to ask her now too, so if anyone has heard of that term, be nice to put that puzzle together. Ta. R. Your Property in France    Report

19/05/2008, 20:40 Russethouse Joined on 23/08/2004 Forum Moderator Posts 9,868 Re: Irises Yep - 'flags' are iris. I have a pretty buff colored iris that is in bloom, but the plant has the fault of always having a kink in the stem which rather detracts from its attractiveness, apart from that the tall slender iris I have have are just started blooming, the dark blue/purply ones first, the light blue is following, in the pond we have a nice clear yellow, with a lighter yellow behind it on the edge, then a new purple and yellow bi color. Just planted a variegated iris in the pond too As you can tell, I like them !! www.quimperclub.org 99    Report

20/05/2008, 8:38 cassis Joined on 28/12/2007 Manhattan and Glasgow Posts 533 Re: Irises Only two irises are truly called 'flag' irises.   Most garden irises actually aren't flags.  The two main flag irises are I. Versicolor and I. Pseudacorus.  The first one is the Blue Flag from North America, a beardless iris, and the second is the Yellow Flag, the common European water iris. These 'flag' irises were originally so-called because of their long thin leaves, "flagge" meaning reed.  Their leaves are thin and reed-like, but more likely it's because they grow in boggy ground (like reeds). Zoggy played guitar, jammin' good with Weird and Golly. Lyrics copyright Sausage Music 2008    Report

27/05/2008, 8:59 mossie Joined on 27/05/2006 Posts 83 Re: Irises I am also a big (but learner) iris fan.  I am hoping to get to the Cayeux nurseries in the next couple of weeks for a real fix. However this is clashing slightly with the Festival du Jardin at the Chateau of Le Lude in the Loire Valley (I only have transport at the weekends when hubbie is home).  This is a big weekend event with talks and tours etc.  Lovely, lovely kitchen garden but best of all loads of stalls selling plants, offering many varieties which are not usually available at the garden centres.  For now I am having to make do with the large clump of the yellow flag irises at the side of the pond which are nice but yellow is not really my colour.  I am hoping in the fullness of time to plant great drifts of blue irises.  Nice to see other people are such fans too!    Report

27/05/2008, 10:23 Russethouse Joined on 23/08/2004 Forum Moderator Posts 9,868 Re: Irises Mossie, If you get to Cayeux could you ask about feeding the plants please ? I can't be sure but I suspect that although I have more flowers this year, they are a little smaller.  www.quimperclub.org 99    Report

27/05/2008, 11:25 mossie Joined on 27/05/2006 Posts 83 Re: Irises If I get there, I will certainly ask about feeding the plants.  However I can't promise to get there.  I reckon it is at least a two hour drive (probably more) and I am still trying to persuade hubbie that he wants to drive all that way.  If we go, it won't be until the weekend after next (definitely Le Lude this coming weekend as I have a huge garden to plant up and the plant sales there are just lovely).  We will enquire for the weekend after that.  From what I gather from their website (very good site also in English) there are best days to visit to see their 55 acres in flower, so we will phone before!  It also of course depends on the weather - they don't tend to look so good after a downpour.  However if the weather is good, I definitely want to go. On another tack, could I please pick gardeners' brains?  I have a truly magnificent clump of white arum lillies in the border (just about the only nice plant left by the previous lot!).  However it was very windy yesterday and I woke to find half of the clump lying on the floor (up to 15 lillies looking very sad).  At first the dog was the culprit but no paw prints so I am pretty sure it was the wind.  My question is, what is the best thing to do?  Should I stake it all back up or cut off those flowers which have fallen over and leave it to sort itself out.  At first I was hoping it might just right itself, but no sign of that yet.  Help much appreciated.    Report

27/05/2008, 11:30 mossie Joined on 27/05/2006 Posts 83 Re: Irises Just went back and got the link: www.iris-cayeux.com/index.php?langue=EN&devise=eur    Report

27/05/2008, 11:42 cowoman Joined on 08/04/2007 WR9 and 87 Posts 266 Re: Irises These are my iris's "> [I want to create this garden .Do you think it will be too difficult? "> ">       Report

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France Forum » Leisure and Pas... » Gardening » Re: Irises

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