I think you have found it here. Lee Mincy

Oh Yeah, we're all here. And they are just starting the 10 and 12 step progarm.

I"LL let others add to it as we go.

Step # 1. Must not let anyone know how much money you spend for a new iris. NEVERStep # 2. Iris beds will always win out over veggie gardens.
(Who needs food, we eat, sleep, and dream about irises and where we're going to put the next ones we get)

Step # 3.(someone please fill in.

Feel free to join in anytime.

Marian
Howdy, from Texas the Lone Star State where Iris lovers hang out..

Anja, You must join your local iris club - I've received many free irises just for attending! You meet others just like yourself too. My spouse thinks I'm crazy and won't go with me to the meetings... oh well. He has to keep me from usurping territory he thinks is his out here on our 5 acres. This weekend I nearly committed suicide by yard work (weeding, planting new irises) ...oh well. Irisval in TX

Step 4, always admit to another IA your wrong doings, such just dying over the sheer beauty of THEIR iris and wishing it was yours instead.

Anja trust me, after all of these of going from a hobby garden to a commerical garden, you think I am NOT PRes of IA...LOL.

In order to be a grower you must LOVE the iris and have a few screws loose to dig the entire field and trim, divide and replant all in one month...

LOL

D

Irisval,
unfortunately we do not have a local iris club. But I suppose I should found one. Yes, that sounds a good idea.
Step 5
You walk up and down your iris rows in May and wonder why all the neighbours laugh at you - then you realize that you still wear your pajamas (this happened to me several times)
Denise, oh my god, digging the entire field and trim, divide and replant in one month......oh!

Yes, dig everything but the beardless and my own seedlings or the guest iris I am judging and sending reports on ...

We have dug all the medians now and trimmed thru P as of tonight, and planted thru L. Have to have all the medians completely done by Fri so Mon we can start on the big guys.

Step 6; If you wonder around talking to the rare beauties and making notes on everything and rather prefer the iris to friends, then you must be an IA...

When your new box of irises comes in and you open it up - so excited you can't eat - then you place the box by your bedside that night (like a new puppy!) then you've definitely got a screw loose.

I think I'd call us Iris Enablers:

the goal of a "-holic" program is to cure the addiction, & that just doesn't happen here.

In order for a 12-step program to work, the person has to *really want* to break the addiction.

As you can tell by the "steps" listed above, the goal here is to stay addicted!

(Have you browsed the Gallery? great fix!)

H-m-m-m-m ... OK ... let me get this straight ...

I rented a sod-lifter, had a friend lift all the sod in my back yard, ordered 5yards of soil and had him spread/level it, planted all my Darlings in rows (total 238 varieties in that space).....

THEN ... hired a fencing contractor to keep thieves out and kids from vandalizing my Darlings AND potted up all surplus to make mad money next year to pay for more Iris AND the fencing contractor ......

Should I qualify!!???

B in Canada
Zone 4b-5 US

Robicho, I think you really qualified and I wish I could see your irises bloom next spring. And your fence is beautiful. I will show your pictures to my husband (and I will tell him that I need such a fence, too). I suppose he can´t believe his eyes.
Greetings from Germany
Anja

Hi Anna! well ... I'll keep this message and post the blooms in the spring for you!! LOL

I LOVE my fence!! It was a bit more expensive than anticipated but that's OK!! The gate will also have an arbour on the inside for my Clematis. Next spring, gardens will also be made along the entire length of the fence .... I think it will be gorgeous!!

B in Canada

Beautiful pics, but will these irises get enough sunshine?

Walter Moores

If you find them, please let me know. I do need to stop, but I just can't help myself! Every year I tell myself that I have enough and I am not going to order any more, but then I get the catalogs and start seeing pictures posted by other forum members. It is reassuring to know there are others out there with the same problem. You wouldn't believe my wish list!

Shadow

Oh My goodness Robicho, and I thought I had it bad. At least I have 35 acres to play with. To bad I didn't take the photos today while I was planting. (LOL)

Hey I need to know something. Why in the world would you want to plant everything in alpa order? I'm keeping the names this time and I'm marking them with little labels. I just think it's got to be awful boring having them listed and planted like that.

Oh Walter, I got two more of your babies ordered. (grin) Lemon Chess and something else. Can't recall right off the top of my head. I'm really excited about getting them.

Shadow I'm right there with you. I want one of every kind and 2 0r 3 of most.(LOL) Isn't it wonderful to be head over heels about these irises?

Let's have an iris swap this summer. I'm sure by then I'll have some to share. What do you think about that?

Happy Gardening all you addicts,
Marian

Hi Walter! yes ... sun comes around the house onto that bed @ 10:30am and stays there all day!

Hi Marian! I did have 3 acres but had to sell due to seperation/divorce. Split the profits, bought ourselves each our own houses and because we are still best friends, his garden is hosting 68 of my surplus!! LOL

I just attended a local plant swap last weekend - came home with 2 new-to-me irises too. As we were all talking together, I said that I haven't met an iris that I didn't like! Unfortunately, that's true for most daylilies too. It's so hard to stop collecting, even if you run out of room.

The new additions were Superstition and Victoria Falls.

Linda~linlily

I started with 18 Iris at the end of our summer and I still have 16. I also have an rose planted with them and several blackberry and raspberry plants accross my area. Not to mention that I have an center piece that still has room for more plants, does this qualify me? LOL

Sorry gardenparadise - you have a long way to go. 16 irises, and room for more will not get you into IA.
You need to look at the new catalogues and order 2 or 3 hundred irises this year, and start potting up all those you don't have room for :-)