MDBs and SDBs are highly addictive. Once you start growing them, you won't be able to stop. They are hardier, more disease-resistant, and less attractive to borers than taller beardeds, and they bloom well with less direct sunlight. They can also tolerate more soil moisture without rotting. They herald in early spring bloom in glorious fashion with a spectacular variety of colors and patterns, and you can pack more of them into smaller spaces than with TBs.

Favorites? That depends on which colors and patterns you prefer. I have dozens of favorites.

All in all, you really can't go wrong with the littleuns.

Laurie

At first I only wanted Tall Bearded. Then I found out about the dwarfs and intermediates. Now, I am addicted to them. I have some tall, intermediate, border and dwarfs and it really extends the bloom time of my favorite flower!! Go for it and enjoy!! As far as favorites, like Laurie says, it depends on what you like. Jackie

I'm like Jackie- only wanted TBs until two years ago I bought Tattler at a local sale. This year I've gotten over thirty more and am converting over a whole bed to dwarfs.

Neil

I like the SDB's as well. My favorites are Dale Dennis (old historic standby), Firestorm, Jillaroo, and Honey Glazed.

I love Dale Dennis because in my climate he is guaranteed to bloom for Mother's Day. It's like my garden's gift to me!

About 3 seasons ago I got my first SDB. Loved it, now I have all sizes and am starting on SIBs. You can't go wrong with the "babies" because they come in all the colors of the rainbow too.

My mother hated irises because they were too tall for her border garden. Then she saw "really short" irises in my yard and asked what happened to them "was it the frost?". Told her all about SDBs and now I think she's been converted.

Thanks so much for your quick response. I prefer purples, blues, yellow, and pink.

Leslie

Colors are far ranging in sdb's, form is improving. In some of the older ones it was not uncommon for the falls to curl up, a trait rarely seen lately. Here are a few pics.
Frisk Me -by Barry Blyth
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BK 340A- A yet to be introduced sdlg by Paul Black. It is like carved wax with the most intense blue beard I have seen on a white sdb.
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Folk Art- Paul Black
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Fires Of Fiji- Paul Black
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Devil Baby - Keith Keppel
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Awake- Barry Blyth
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Artful- Paul Black
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Aftershave- Meek
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Don't quite understand why Artful didn't transfer right.
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george those are all knock outs! i am not partial to sdb, too tiny, too far away from me kinda thing, but those pics are all terrific! i do like the intermediates, they sure make fantastic clumps and still get tall enough to enjoy with lots of interesting color combos.

Leslie,

You can view more pics of SDBs and MDBs on my website (linked below) and in my online photo albums.

Laurie

Here is a link that might be useful: Laurie's iris website

MDBs are wonderful plants. Laurie gave a very good overview of the class and I would like to offer a short list of my favorite garden performers: (in no particular order)

1. Wise--dark purple, white beard..often blooms for a couple of weeks here and reblooms late in September or October

2. Tingle--Nice Paul Black intro and grows like a weed. Lovely cream to opalescent white flowers with gold to chartreuse spot around beard.

3. Sunny Tyke--a prolific bloomer and grower, white with pea green spot

4. Hey There--winner of the CWM in 2001 (?), cloudy lemon with blue blend down beard and midribs

5. Fission Chips--a dandy new creation from Keith Keppel with intense orange flowers and beards

(And now for the plug...;)......if you want to know and grow more MDBs you should join the Dwarf Iris Society. Our website is offline at the moment but a great little group of folks who are always looking to add more to their ranks. Some companies (Zebra...others?) offer irises/membership deal. Check it out.

--Kelly D. Norris

Those pictures just about had me salivating! Great. Glad I ordered Frisk Me this year. Had no idea what it looked like but the description sounded good. :-)

I love the dwarfs, borers don't chew they, they don't rot in my beds like talls do, and they grow very well. I think I grow a couple hundred varieties of miniature and standard dwarfs.

Dwarf iris are good season extenders and have some color combos not seen in other bearded irises. They look much better in a bed to themselves. Mixed with TBs they lose their impact.

You are lucky you live in a climate where they get sufficient chill to bring them up out of the fan.

Try some IBs, too. Those are really great and do well here.

Walter Moores

Gmason - Artful didn't show up due to one missing That said, those photos are fabulous!

I just started with the minis and last year "What Again" bloomed in the spring and then twice more thru the summer.
"Freudian Slip" is quite the "mover" Came so tiny I laughed (it had a note saying it was little but mighty) WOW was it mighty. Bloomed last spring quite nicely and this spring looked like a bridal bouquet!

I am another that wasn't fond of the little irises. But yr before last yr I started a bed designed just for them and I must say I love them. They are the first to bloom and that is mostly what I ordered this yr. I have another border I want to add to.

littlebit

I have heard conflicting reports about whether dwarfs and intermediates do well in my climate. What do you think?