Thanks, Sandy! Clarence was one of the first irises I bought--my first (and last) order from Schreiner's. After that, I ordered the rest from BlueJ. Several of the rescued plants turned out to be Clarence. It's lovely.

Some of my irises were chosen party for their names, memorializing family members, but the only Clarence I know is my Lyme disease doctor, so the name wasn't a factor that time. :-)

So pretty, Alisande; I've always had a soft spot for iris.

Spoken like an iris borer, Rhizo. LOL

I was wrong about "Perfect Pitch" posted above; it's definitely Swingtown. The real Perfect Pitch opened today. I think it's stunning. The buds look like blue-black silk.

These are beautiful! Since you seem to be quite knowledgeable about irises, I wonder if you could help me with a question. Do bearded irises continue to grow new foliage throughout the summer or are the fans I see now all I will get? I put variegated iris that I bought at my local garden center (one in each) of 2 combination planters about a month ago, copying a container recipe I saw on the internet. Well now one looks great but the other pretty pathetic as I accidentally disrupted the rhizome too much when transplanting. Some of the foliage turned brown and dried up and I removed it. The foliage that remains is skimpy and weak and floppy, which looks silly on the opposite side of my porch as the other iris/planter that looks full and tall. I was planning to pull them out of the pots and plant them somewhere in my landscape in the fall. So now I am wondering if the one that looks bad will improve and fill in or if I need to give up on it and either replace it with another new iris or perhaps put something else in both pots in their place. Thanks in advance!

KW, I don't think they add foliage throughout the summer, but this is based on my observation of new growth in spring. I'm sure I pay less attention to the iris foliage after they stop blooming. Perhaps someone with real knowledge of iris growth patterns will respond to your question.

As for transplanting in the fall, I don't know where you live, but the experts advise transplanting early enough to allow good root systems to develop before the arrival of cold weather. Here in the northeast, Zone 4, that usually means no later than July. Bulbs such as daffodils, tulips, etc., are usually planted in the fall, but iris are different.

Hope this helps!

Thanks Alisande. The kitty with 'Clarence' makes it a purfect picture.

kw7777 - beardeds are pooped after their spring display and the rhizomes are using energy to produce babies. Yes, the foliage looks lousy during this period. Keep that rhizome in spite of browned foliage.