Iris--TOW foliage
Mary Sue Ittner (Fri, 12 Mar 2004 08:22:27 PST)

Dear All,

I routinely cut the foliage back to the ground on some of the Pacific Coast
Irises and every year on my Iris unguicularis as someone suggested you need
to do that so you can see the flowers well. They all put up new more
vigorous foilage. Someone I think said this would be hard on the plants
and they would decline as a result, but that hasn't been the case. Also I
am surprised to read from John Grimshaw that the latter plant needs a warm
site to do well as I wouldn't think my site qualifies as warm although it
may get more sun than some of the parts of my garden. It certainly doesn't
get sun all day and I don't live in a hot climate. But maybe he is talking
about protection from cold in winter? Has anyone tried cutting the foliage
of Iris lazica to the ground to see if you could see the flowers better?

Mary Sue