What are you planning to do with irises that aren't in big clumps?? If you are planning on giving them away I would like to get on that list. I will pay shipping costs. Irises were my grandma's favorite flower, but hers were killed by an evil step grandma....Send me an email if you want.

Orchidllauraga - I am planning to trade some of the light blue self on the plant exchange forum. It is Victoria Falls. I also have local friends and neighbors who have asked for starts. If I have extras I will send you an email. I will not be dividing these until the last week in July. They are still blooming now.

Anyone know if I just take bigger clumps and replant to keep the look I have and allow for the blooms to be prolific again. I still had many blooms but not as many as the year before. I just do not want the look of starting over.

Yes you can keep the look by replanting bigger clumps. I did it several years ago, when I knew my garden was going to be on tour the next year. You can always just cut away a side of the clump The downfall is you will have to separate them again sooner.

littlebit

Littlebit - Thanks. I usually cut a piece from the side of my established clumps when I am not ready to divide but want to trade a piece. I have not had to really divide my irises yet because my beds are not very old.

Yes, Val, it is as littlebit says. Just keep more and replanting more of the biggest fattest rhizomes. One year I was sick when it was time to divide, and I couldn't dig but I went out with a knife and just cut some rhizomes away. Wasteful and not kosher, got them through until the next year. But it's good to get out the weeds and take care of the soil.

I am having iris long enough to figure out that sometimes I just don't get to have a "show" every year. Some iris don't come back as easily as others. It takes Edith Wolford two years to get up to speed after dividing. But the orange TB's that I traded to you come back easily for me. I wish I knew their name as I would like to recommend them to others. But you have a lot of historics, and they are still around for a reason. They come back easily and are prolific, so you will be happy enough with the show next spring. I always am.

Aseedisapromise - I will just take bigger clumps when I divide them. I should have been out with a sharpie marking a few already. In my bed by the garden, I have some historical iris that get all mixed up. I have one that is so prolific it shows up everywhere. My neighbor has been actively trying to get it out of her beds because it takes over the other iris. I have it in only one bed in one spot and I keep an eye on it.

I am excited about the ones you sent and I am so sad I did not get them in the ground last fall so I might have seen blooms. I got the orange from you because it is my daughter's favorite color.

Any help on when to divide my Blue Nile Iris would be greatly appreciated>Mary Ann

There is a bearded iris "Blue Nile", and there is Agapanthus. which do you have?

Val1, what is that red-looking flower in your photo above? It looks like it's an iris, too.