Irises for me have always bloomed the first year I planted them - so, I think you'll probably get blooms this year. In fact, my iris bloom most heavily the summers when I have divided/planted them that spring.

It's weird, they also seem cyclic - sometimes they bloom real heavy, and other years they hardly bloom at all. I've noticed this in my own garden (Albuquerque) as well as when I was growing up - my folks had iris back in the 1970's (Salt Lake) and sometimes the flower crop was great, and other times only so-so.

I think Bob is talking bearded iris that grow from rhizomes.
Dutch iris are bulbs best planted in the fall. I suspect the company that bagged your bulbs was just giving generic instructions....are the bulbs good and firm? Not dried out indicating they were packed for fall 05?
I saw packs of awful dried out dead tulip bulbs in the dollar store the other day....EWWWW!
Linda C

I have both dutch and bearded - I should have been more clear there, hehe. Both have pretty much acted similar (blooming their first year). My dutch iris haven't been nearly as prolific nor reproductive as the bearded ones though :( The bed is currently mixed, so I believe the bearded will eventually suffocate/overgrow the dutch.