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How many iris varieties do you grow?

20 years ago

I'm posting this because I can't believe the circumstances i find myself in. I started in '05 with an order of 50 or so varieties from Cooleys, and thru a series of events relating to a fellow club member passing away, and iris club sales my collection has ballooned to more than 750 varieties -- in one year. Didn't spend that much either. I'm getting weak just trying to construct new beds -- luckily I've got 2 + acres to play with.

I must say the iris people are the best :):):)

Comments (16)

  • 20 years ago

    You have done much better than I have. I started with about 10 different iris in 2003 and now have over 400. I do have about 5000 plants. People gave me a lot of noids that have really multiplied. Out of about 50 noids I think I have identified 6 or 7. I have 20 acres to play with so I will not run out of space.

  • 20 years ago

    Over a thousand, counting all named varieties, including Siberian, Japanese, Spuria, Median and tall beardeds, Named PCI's, Dutch, reticulata, Louisiana and named species crosses.
    Probably 3 times that many if I include species grown from SIGNA and BIS seed, and all my TB, IB, SDB, MTB, PCI, Sib seedlings. These would take up maybe 1/20th of the space on our 7/8 acre block, so it seems to me there is room for plenty more :-)

  • 20 years ago

    All of you are quite lucky with all those acrages of spaces. I started with 8 in 1992. Now I have close to 500, but I'm in a tiny, 131 x 26 city lot. No more irises for me for a while.

  • 20 years ago

    I only grow two varieties of iris ... 'Bluebird in Flight' & 'HellCat'. Both are intermediate bearded iris. But I have a lot of them, several nice clumps of both. I like to make a "statement" with those two favorites. I gave away all my other varieties.

    Randy

  • 20 years ago

    Carlos, You must not have any grass to mow. What do you do with all your increase?

  • 20 years ago

    I started in 2003 with a few I ordered from Schreiner's now I have right at 400 TB irises. I have 73 acres to play with (in my dreams!. I'm getting a little more room every year a few rows at a time! Is there no end?

    I hope not!

  • 20 years ago

    I think that iris are a positive addiction. Lee Mincy

  • 20 years ago

    I started two years ago and I counted 486 just today Tall bearded and of those172 are aril or arilbred. Had Japanese louisiana and a few species but Mr. vole decided he liked the japanese (lost 73) Got rid of the Louisianas cut back the talls by 112
    Slate

  • 20 years ago

    I grow SDB,IB,TB,ARILBRED,SIBERIANS,SPURIA,SPECIES,AND ONE LOUISIANA.

    TOTAL, 225

  • 20 years ago

    I'm a mere beginner at about 60 varieties. We have entire cities of voles, so I grow iris only in raised beds lined with hardware cloth. I'm out of space unless I grow less food and more iris. But then I don't NEED zucchini as much as I need a few more iris...

    Jeanne

  • 20 years ago

    Not nearly enough. I won't shame myself by saying just how few I do have, but bought about 25 new ones this season.

    Sue

  • 20 years ago

    Over the last two years my collection grew from 25 to over 500. I started out with daylilies and traded their increases for bearded irises. Also ordered from several nurseries. I have mostly TBs, with a few SDBs and IBs. Lots of room for more irises on our 45 acres. This year was my first year of hybridizing, and with beginner's luck I ended up with 83 seed pods.

  • 20 years ago

    Hi Rebel,

    You were asking what I do with all the increases. Well, I sent about 300 rhizomes over to Presby's Memorial Iris Gardens, since many that I had were not in Presby's Gardens. Laetitia can tell you about the two large shipments she received. The other 150 rhizomes or so went to trades and giveaways. Incase you're wondering why so many, I had to divide my entire iris stock this year since I was moving.

    Carlos

  • 20 years ago

    Carlos, I hope you moved to a place with more space. I am amazed that you can grow that many iris on such a small lot. Presby is a very good place. Presby is the national treasure for iris people.

  • 20 years ago

    If anything I probably moved to a smaller lot, but still growing the same amount. City workers don't have much freedom in where to move to.

    Carlos

  • 20 years ago

    I have about 30 different ones (mostly TB, a couple IB/BB), mostly heirlooms. This wasn't a good season for my irises - very wet here all summer. I'll be interested to see how they bloom next year. My hands-down favorite is 'Striped Butterfly,' but there are many others I enjoy too. My iris interest has been competing with my daylily interest (and my dozen + peonies and many other perennials) - on a suburban 65x100 lot, I've about maxed myself out. I'm trying to talk my husband into a larger lot (not a larger HOUSE, just a bigger piece of LAND - I've got my priorities!).

    Laurel

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