June is finally here and my siberian irises have bloomed! Above is 'June to Remember', which is an often sought after but rarely found cobalt blue color.
Here's a close up shot of 'June to Remember'. This iris is available from Joe Pye Weed Gardens. I posted more details about this and other siberian irises last year (see that post here), but my pictures are better this summer, thanks to a better camera lens.
Here is the first flower from my young 'Blueberry Fair' iris plant. I ordered this one from Schreiner's Gardens. You can see that the flower form is very similar to 'June to Remember', except 'Blueberry Fair' is more violet than blue. This picture doesn't capture the violet as well as it shows in the garden, sorry.
White 'Rolling Cloud' iris flowers drift amid the catmint. Siberian irises are a nice addition to your garden if you want something a little different. Nearly everyone seems to grow bearded irises, but few grow siberian irises.
Another 'Rolling Cloud' iris with Kathy's pink cranesbill geranium and purple 'Bonanza' clematis in the background. Siberian irises are not as easy to establish as bearded irises. They require good conditions and a few years of patience before they start putting on a great show.
Here we have 'Tanz Nochmal', which is also a beautiful true blue. Although siberian irises only bloom once a season, I'll always make room for them in my gardens. Where else can you find such blues?
The last siberian iris to bloom in my garden is violet 'Worth the Wait.' I have to agree with the name. I'm still waiting for my 'Just Because' siberian irises to bloom. Maybe next year will be the year, especially if I don't transplant them this summer and put them through transplant shock!
Here's a wider view of my 'Worth the Wait' clump, with white heuchera flowers and pink 'Sister Elizabeth' english roses in the background. The english roses are blooming now, so stay tuned for more photos of these prettiest of all flowers.
I admire and envy your Siberians, especially those ripply ones at the start of your post. They would truly be a 'June to Remember.' My ultra-sandy soil isn't what Siberians like... sadly.
ReplyDeleteI loved seeing your siberian irises, especially since you have completely different varieties than I have in my garden. I wonder if there are regional differences in which ones do well and therefore which ones nurseries tend to stock? -Jean
ReplyDeleteSo would you reccoment Shr. Gardens for ordering? I have yet to find a good place that I trust.
ReplyDeleteYour iris are so lovely. Thanks for sharing!
I'm a big fan of Siberian Iris and actually more likely to plan them then Bearded. The bearded irises can be show stoppers for sure, but to me they look best planted in a mass, and then when they're done blooming after a relatively short time, you're left with this big hole in your garden. Little clumps of Siberian Iris tucked around the garden look great, but you don't miss them so much when they're gone.
ReplyDeleteVery nice! It's interesting how subtle the differences are. I was going to post on my sibs too, but never got around to it. They ae fun to collect.
ReplyDeleteI have so many Japanese irises and haven't made room for Siberian (other than 'Butter and Sugar'). That cobalt blue is drop-dead gorgeous. There's nothing prettier than an iris, no matter which one it is! :-)
ReplyDeleteJean - nurseries around here only carry one or two sibs at most. All of mine have come by mail.
ReplyDeleteRosey - Schreiner's is a great nursery. They're friendly and send robust plants.
Susan - very true about the bearded and sibs. I'm so attached to bearded iris that I've got to put them in somehow and try to deal with the 11 months of the year when they aren't blooming.
Your blues are awesome. The 'Rolling Cloud' with the catmint is especially lovely. I agree with you everyone grows bearded irises but not so many Siberian. I got some from my sister in Maine and so far they have failed to bloom for me:( I hope they do someday because they are so pretty! Yours are gorgeous!
ReplyDeleteWhat a wonderful collection you have, VW!! I have only two Siberian Iris... and they're just "baby clumps" right now. 'Anniversary' is white - you might like it. :-)
ReplyDeleteBlue is my favorite garden color and your blossoms are exquisite!
ReplyDeleteThose are beautiful Siberian iris. Those blue and purple blue flowers always catch my eye. They are all pretty, but I especially like the extra blue colour of June to Remember and Worth the Wait. They look lovely with the white and pink Heuchera and rose.
ReplyDeleteVery pretty! I love purple in the garden!
ReplyDeleteI'm going to have to get some of these. I have a family member that is crazy for iris, so I have sort of an expert in the family, so why not right?
ReplyDeleteHi VW~~ Beautiful flowers! I especially like the pinks and blues. The last photo is just stunning.
ReplyDeleteWhen I moved to my current house I was only able to transplant a few of the plants from the previous house. 3 of them were my Blue Siberian iris plants. Last year and this year I have one plant that is flowering mostly white flowers with 2 or 3 blue ones. I wonder if you know why this might happen. Thanks :)
ReplyDeleteSilee, I bet your siberian iris dropped a seed or two near the original plant and the new seedling has a white flower instead of blue. Maybe you can separate the two colors out and enjoy the white one elsewhere?
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