Rae Ann,
I went through just what you explained for a couple of years, then I finally figured that I'd better find another flower to love that bloomed after iris. So, I bought some daylilies and Dahlia's. I plant an array of different flowers so that when the iris are done, the garden is still in bloom with other flowers. My favorite flowers (behind the iris) are poppies, yarrow, viola's, delphinium, asters, etc. However, looking forward to the daylilies and Dahlia's bloom get me through until late fall, then I look forward to my sempervivums (hens and chicks) getting their winter color.
I'm sorry to hear you're bummed. I'd suggest touring the web (or a nursery) and finding other plants that bloom after iris so that you can get another collection going.
Plus, you can tour around the web and see LOTS of iris in pictures. I know it's not the same, but you can dream about the ones that would look best in your garden.
You know, something else that helps me with the ending of iris season is hybridizing them. I look forward to seeing how many seeds are in the pods, harvesting and drying the seeds, then around Thanksgiving, planting the seeds. I don't know if you're into that, but it helps me....
Heidi

I was sad this year when most of my iris didn't bloom due to a freeze, but there were so many other things that bloomed after that (and coming into their own this year) that I didn't miss the iris so much after all.

I planted annuals - cosmos, sunflowers, hollyhocks - to fill in after the irises are finished. I may even get some daylilies since they aren't just yellow or orange anymore! Also, we have honeysuckle which smells heavenly - to fill the void. If you need some flower seeds,RaeAnn, email me! val.walker@nts-online.net

For three years I've not ordered new iris and it was depressing. Looking forward to this year's order has me re-turning that soil, sprinkling bonemeal, cursing weeds..................I'm a happy camper.

Take the good with the bad with irises. I was upset with the Easter freeze, but enough blooms followed that reenergized me. I rarely ever have irises fall over. I think the cause is too much nitrogen fertilizer that makes then grow too tall and fast. Add triple superphosphate (0-60-0) in a bed where irises are topheavy.

I have recently planted calla lilies. They are easy to grow and the individual blooms last a long time. They bloom with the early daylilies.

For every blooming plant/shrub/tree there is a season. Daylilies logically follow the irises. There is something in bloom here most of the year. Find flowering plants that can take the place of the irises when not in season. Find something that is maintenance free like periwinkles which bloom until frost here. There are so many newer varieties and they can withstand droughts.

Walter Moores

I had a touch of that this week when a very hot day just after peak bloom sent the bloom count plummeting, and washing out the colors of those left. But new ones opened on some late season varieties and that keeps pulling me back out there. Once I went thru and cleaned up the early stalks that were done I felt better about it all too. Now is the time to make plans for dividing and moving them this summer to create the palette for next springs bloom.

Mike

& you can always look at the gallery for postings from more northern zones!

Southern iris gardeners give Northern ones a head start on iris season, & Northern gardeners prolong iris season for Southern ones.

My iris finished up last week but I have one rebloomer in bloom and two more are sending up bloom stalks. My daylilies and calla lilies are really starting to bloom and the glads have a lot of bloom stalks and a few are showing color. I am almost over the late freeze but it will be a while before the Crape M. are blooming. I don't think I lost any but anything under 3 years old is putting out from the ground, the tops are dead. All my canna were killed back to the ground but have put out again and are really growing. Lee Mincy

Iris are the most magical, frustrating, wonderful, flower ever.

I second the advice to find another perennial or two to focus on besides iris.

I do liles, scale liles (not dayliles) which I find to be, generally speaking, more reliable than iris. At least with lilies they either seem to thrive or die out, not a lot in between.

So, my gardening season goes like this.:

April & May - Worry about iris bloom, watch for iris bloom, hope for iris bllom, enjoy iris blooms, stake iris, deadhead iris

June - Plan iris order for following year; Watch for lilies and stake them, enjoy bloom

July- continue to enjoy lily bloom, transplant iris

August & September: plan lilies purchases for next year; rest, doing just normal garden chores (weeding and mulching)

OCtober - transplant and move lilies

I dabble a bit in day lilies but I don't like 'em much.
I'm planning to, once I get a new garden set up, to get into dahlias in a big way so that will give me lots of bllom in Augut, September, and Ocotber.

I guess living up north - in Wisconsin - has its benefits. My irises are only half thru their blooming season. I am in zone 4 and I look forward to everything blooming. I use to say this is pretty and so is this, but then I realized I think everything is pretty. I just wish I could spend more time in my gardens instead of working outside of the house. But then I guess I wouldn't have any money to put towards buying more plants if I didn't work.

Get some Japanese Iris!!! They do great up north, and they don't bloom until the end of June!! (The smaller Japanese Iris bloom mid June). You will love them, all they need is lots of water and good soil. They have no pests or fungal diseases and they are beautiful.

regards-
Angelonia_Anne

Here are some pictures of Japanese Iris. The yellow one is a cross between Pseudocorous and a Japanese, thus the yellow color which is not normally present in a JI.

Click Here