Dutch iris requirements
Jamie (Thu, 11 Sep 2003 10:23:59 PDT)

Diane, Jane,

in my Zone 8 garden Dutch iris do rather well and a few are reliable
bloomers for me. I am unsure of the names, as I purchased mixed lots,
mostly because that was about all you could get! Professor Blaauw is often
available, as is Bronze Queen, occaisionally others, but they are the
exceptions. I do have that lovely bronze and blue combination, which I
believe is Bronze Queen, as well as a number of blues and a glowing yellow.
They are in deep, humus soil, wet in Winter, when they start growing,
becoming a bit dryer as the ground warms. Summers tend to get a bit dry
toward the end and then the Autumn rains come. I can't say they increase
well, but they do increase, they may well require more sun to truly prosper.
Being stately and firm, they make excellent cut flowers, although they hold
only a few days. As they are so cheap to buy, I pay little attention to
them and consider them decoration more than charges. I have always assumed
them to be quite hardy, but perhaps Zone 6-7 is the limit! I planted them
deep, a good 15cm (6"), which they apparently liked. It's a funny thing
with the Xiphium Iris, we seem to be taking them for granted! Not exactly
fair, is it. They are very satisfactory between other perennials.

Jamie V.
Cologne