newbie here - looking for a nice one

16 years ago

Hi everyone,

I only have a small clump of dwarf bearded irises, which I really love. I've been thinking of a standard size ... I garden in zone 3, although I don't know if that matters with irises. (does it?)

I am hoping you can give me suggestions for a bloom that would be pink with apricot/peach in it as well. I saw pictures with these colors, but could find no names on the particular site I was perusing.

Thanks for any suggestions

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Comments (9)

iris_gal
16 years ago
My winters are too mild for the SDB & MDB (standard dwarf & miniature dwarf)
and your winters are too severe for the TB (tall).

That's the bad news. The good news is maybe I'm wrong and there is a tall bearded that will not succumb to rot.

I don't remember Laurie's website. She's in zone 4 I believe and has had some luck with a few. Hope someone will post it. This is Chapman's site. He may be able to steer you to some possibilities.

Here is a link that might be useful: Chuck Chapman in So. Ontario
mshadow
16 years ago
I am in zone 4 and have about 250 different tall bearded. I think a lot of it has to do with how much snow coverage you get. They love a blanket of snow in the winter in the cold zones. Mine have been under the snow since November and I won't see them again until April. I have the link below to Laurie's web site.

Shadow

Here is a link that might be useful: Shadowood
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sierra_z2b
16 years ago
Hi all,

I am in zone 2b and I have ummmm well alot of iris....in the hundreds. I have all sizes. Yes I have lost a few, but I wouldn't say it was really because of the cold winters here. The winters here provide good snow cover and that means many plants that wouldn't normally survive this cold, will because they are protected. Where the problems come in, is the wet springs. If the drainage is good you will have better success. It you have a bad winter, then yes expect to lose a few. A lot of freeze thaw will also kill plants.

I haven't lost any once they get established. I will lose a few in the first year...and yes most multiply well once they get established. Also rebloomers don't have time to rebloom for us.....however here they bloom after the tall bearded finish which extend the blooming season into July Aug for me.

Many of my iris came from Chapman. Also have a look at Trails End Iris. I know you are in Calgary, but maybe a trip to Hole's in Edmonton would be worth the trip. They also offer mail order.

If you read the info on Chapman's website...he didn't have a good winter last year.....and lost many iris.....so it happens to everyone.

Sierra
hosenemesis
16 years ago
Ooh- there are many irises with your colors- so you're in luck!

Many that are listed as pink are really sort of peachy or warm pink. I have Beverly Sills and Alice Goodman, and they are both lovely peachy pinks.

If you want to search by color, take a look at BlueJ Iris's web pages. Then you can check elsewhere to see if they are cold-hardy.

Here is a link that might be useful: Blue J Iris
denidill
Original Author
16 years ago
sierra, where do you garden? do you have a link to pictures of your garden? (I'm intrigued because of the zone!)

thanks, everyone for all the website suggestions. I will take a look.
sierra_z2b
16 years ago
denidill......you have mail.

Sierra
daylilyluver
16 years ago
You are all enablers...I hope to get a few SDB's now from Shadowood.

I've already got a list for Blue J, and Sutton, and Schriener's...
ofionnachta
16 years ago
Denidill -
- You can also try planting some in a microclimate if your house & yard allow it---for example in a bed against the SW facing side of the house, if it gets lots of sun on that side. Sometimes the difference between one side of the house and the opposite is a full ag zone.

I am not supposed to see glads overwinter where I live, and in most of the yard they don't---except for one bed at the back of the house.
fern_r
16 years ago
A lot of iris sellers have a feature that allows you to browse their selections by color. That might help you find the name of an iris that has the coloring you want, and then you can google to see if anyone has had luck with that iris in your climate. For example, I'm linking to Rainbow Iris Farm's color picker...

Here is a link that might be useful: Rainbow Iris Farms - Browse By Color