Dear All, I've heard from Bob Pries that he has tried to send him introduction for the topic of the week. Perhaps ibiblio is having a problem. So this will be a test to see if this is so. Iris is a very broad topic and I am looking forward to having the various groups explained to us. In the meantime (besides whatever else anyone wants to talk about) how about if everyone tells us which Iris do well in your garden. Be sure and include information about where you live. Iris douglasiana is native to where I live and something I look forward to seeing in the wild in my garden every year. It seeds itself about a bit so I'll have new clumps appearing and I just let them appear where they like and I love them even if they are common. Some of the old ones die out. I have found that it improves in looks if I cut it down to the ground every year or so late summer or early fall. The new leaves then look much better. The other Pacific Coast Iris that I'm especially fond of is Iris innominata. I have other PCIs coming along, but they seem slow to bloom and the two above do the best for me. I have a few Pacific Coast hybrids too and some years they are wonderful (but not every year.) The other two Iris growing in my garden that are reliable and I appreciate are Iris unguicularis with its gorgeous big flowers in winter and the Iris a friend gave me that I think is Iris japonica that is blooming right now. I took a picture of it yesterday that shows the leaves and not just the flowers. http://pacificbulbsociety.org/pbswiki/files/… I'll rename the file to give it a proper name if Jim Waddick or someone will confirm that this looks like Iris japonica not Iris wattii or Iris confusa. I look forward to getting a feel for which Iris grows best where around the world. Mary Sue Mary Sue Ittner California's North Coast Wet mild winters with occasional frost Dry mild summers
