I didn't even realize there WAS an iris forum. I'll do that! Thanks for the tip!

They did some photoshopping of the image where you can accentuate the swirly effects. Still a beautiful iris.

I'm not very familiar with Photoshop, so I wouldn't detect such things, other than photo overlay-type alterations. It's pretty, what they did, though.

I am just guessing . My photoshop is so ancient that my computer no longer recognizes it. They want me to cough up another $700 ... and I won't. I am sure most programs will have a similar effect available.

This appears to be the original photo, which seems more realistic:

I don't always have a keen enough eye to discern when an image has been digitally enhanced, but the background greenery of the original pic looks a bit wonky -- almost cartoon-like.

Let us know, OP, what you find out -- particularly if this beautiful variety might do well in TX (I'm in zone 8, just SW of Houston).

SW of Houston would be z9a. Iris Germanica won’t do well in Houston, with some limited exceptions, and I mean limited. They require more chill hours than we have.

Thanks for clarifying, bossy. My zone always confuses me a bit. When I plug in my zip code at the bottom of the Garden Web Forums A to Z listing, I get zone 8.

When I click on the green Hardiness Zone Map for USDA, I get Zone 9a. I'm never quite sure which to use (and am sure I've used both 8 and 9a in my posts), which is why I always qualify with SW Houston.

Thanks Javiwa for that photo. It really is a beautiful Iris, with or without Photoshop alterations.