It would be best to bury the pots up to the rims, but that's not practical with 200 pots. I think the next best strategy might be to build a sort of makeshift cold frame around them out of hay or straw bales, maybe two bales high. I'd be more inclined to use a north facing wall as one side of the frame rather than a south facing wall. The north facing will stay more consistently cold and help avoid the sort of freeze/thaw damage that can kill irises.

Line the pots up as snuggly together as possible, then surround them as closely as possible with bales and cover them with a thick layer of straw, evergreen boughs, or some other non-compacting material (whole oak leaves will work, but most other leaves compact too tightly and may lead to rot in your irises).

That will hopefully get them through the winter in good health.

Laurie

I agree with Laurie; I would not put them along a south-facing wall. A north wall would be where I'd put them. You want them to freeze and stay frozen, and protect them from winds that will dry out the soil and plant and dessicate them.

Diana

I agree that a north-facing wall would be ideal but unfortunately, my north-facing wall happens to be the front walkway and front door with little front yard. I bought a townhouse with attached houses on either side of me leaving just the back yard to work with. I chose this particular townhouse for the treeless south facing back yard! ha!

They don't HAVE to be against the south-facing wall do they? I've got a 40-foot deep back yard so I suppose I could over-winter them somwhere back there huh??

I had originally thought of digging them in a long trench along the fence in the back yard but with all the moving, my back is already worn out. I guess I'm just trying to find a more 'muscle-and-back friendly' method!!

The trench might be your best bet since burying the pots will be the most likely means of preventing the sort of freeze/thaw and dessication damage that they'll undoubtedly experience as exposed pots in your climate.

Laurie

Thanks Laurie & Diana! ... I know you're absolutely right!

I'll call the "X" and see if he's busy this weekend! Maybe his back is dealing with our move better than mine! ha!
Berni

Is the back yard fenced? If you have solid privacy fencing, you could use that as one of the walls - the very back of the yard would be on the north side of the fence. If there isn't a suitable fence, are there trees in the yard, or maybe a deck that shades the area below but that you can walk under? If so, you could group the pots together under the tree(s) or deck and make the straw bale walls Laurie suggested, but do it on all 4 sides. You want to keep the sun from thawing the pots out.

How's your snow cover there? If it's consistent, the straw bales should be enough protection. If not, I'd cover them with evergreen boughs or oak leaves or pine straw or something as well to protect them from drying winds.

Diana