Dear Jane; Very brave of you to admit to loosing a bucket o' bulbs. I tend to put odds and ends aside and then months later rediscover them. Oops. Tall bearded iris are notoriously 'forgiving' in this regard. Although I DID NOT do this, a friend who moved recalls finding a box of iris rhizomes packed in newspapers in the garage 2 years after the move!!. They were planted and the majority still managed to grow and bloom eventually. The power of survival. Jim W. -- Dr. James W. Waddick 8871 NW Brostrom Rd. Kansas City Missouri 64152-2711 USA Ph. 816-746-1949 E-fax 419-781-8594 Zone 5 Record low -23F Summer 100F +