Lever the fork up, and expose the rhizomes of the iris clump. Iris histrioides is so named because its flowers bear a marked resemblance to the pale blue I. histrio. Iris histriodes will associate well with Iris danfordiae, and with early crocuses such as Crocus tommasinianus. The falls are yellow with a lot of purple-blue veining and the standards are a washed-out blue. Cut back the flower stems to their base after flowering. Whatever the weather in late winter, clumps of these brave, bright flowers bring life and gaiety to rock beds, patio containers, gravel plantings and alpine houses. Keep the planting area tidy, and remove any weeds and debris. I'm not sure what their ideal conditions are, but I … This is an even earlier-flowering bulb but one best grown in an alpine house as it does not have the same stamina or hardiness. Iris reticulata: quite simply indispensableThe most commonly grown are the January-flowering Iris danfordiae and the cultivated forms of Iris reticulata, such as 'J S Dijt' and 'Cantab'. Remove the foliage when it dies down and turns yellow. It has deep, royal-blue standards and falls - the latter have a white centre, a thin yellow-orange rib and some irregular spotting.
Iris reticulata seem reluctant to naturalise and increase as some bulbs do - whenever I've grown them, either in pots or in the ground, they decrease year after year. Whereas the forms of Iris reticulata have narrow "falls", those of Iris histrioides are broader and, to my mind, showier. In containers, they can be happily paired with winter-flowering violas. Moreover, Iris histrioides is also remarkably weather-proof thanks to its provenance - mountain slopes at 1,500 metres in northern Turkey. Iris reticulata are both deer resistant and drought tolerant. In colour, it is somewhere between its parents. The flower is only 2-3ins tall and it opens when the leaves have scarcely pierced the ground.These lengthen after flowering to about 16ins, giving sustenance to the bulb and its bulblets and ensuring reliable flowering year after year.Iris histrioides cultivars appreciate a sunny position and well-drained sandy soil in a sunny place - add generous quantities of horticultural grit if the soil is heavy. You will need to divide the plants and buy additional stock every few years to maintain anything like a peak display. Old clumps of irises should be divided every 3 to 5 years in July or after flowering before they become overcrowded and flowering is affected. Leave them in the pots, plant in open ground (if so how deep) or throw them away and buy new the following year?Stop press: I have just discovered that Katherine Hodgson is not in fact an Iris reticulata, but an Iris histroides. Use a garden hose to clean off the rhizomes. Although not popular with all purists, it is widespread in the gardens of the discerning.
The flowers are completely unaffected by snow and frost and seeing them poking through a blanket of fresh snow is a joy.All are charming, as is the well-known hybrid between Iris histrioides and the primrose-yellow Iris winogradowii, 'Katharine Hodgkin'. Log in or register to join the conversation. “I am not lost, for I know where I am.
Is there a secret to getting Iris Reticulata to flower again after the first year? Slugs and snails are a particular problem, particularly in the wet weather we've been having lately. This is mainly because its leaves appear and elongate very early and are thus fatally prone to damage. Some of my irises, including Dutch irises have snail damage and I caught one tiny snail halfway up a stem a couple of days ago. The one you are most likely to come across is my favourite, 'Major'. Use a pair of pruning shears to cut the upper half of the leaves off the iris. Couples flocking to Gibraltar for that perfect (and mask-free) wedding Iris histrioides can be ravaged by ink spot, a fungal disease; if the leaves are streaky, and the bulbs have inky splash marks, burn them and plant new ones elsewhere.It can look rather wishy-washy in stronger company - 'Major', say - but it is a good and reliable garden bulb. I have bought several pots of growing bulbs that soon flower, but what do I do afterwards? I've heard other gardeners say that this is also their experience. Plant them in early autumn - this gives them time to make their roots while the soil is still relatively warm - at a depth twice the height of the bulb and 2ins apart. Hybrids between I. histrioides and I. reticulata include such excellent bulbs as 'Harmony' and 'Pauline'. I have Iris reticulata in the garden and while they are in full flower in one part of the garden in another they're yet to produce flowers. Slide a garden fork under the clump of irises that need to be divided. Snowdrops and crocus are more low-maintenance in this regard. Remove any diseased or brown leaves when you see them, and in autumn, cut off any old or dying leaves.
But however, where I am may be lost.” The only place that they stay alive in my garden is in a patch of stony, dried out in summer, rubbishy soil. Iris histrioides, on the other hand, flowers as the pointed, square-stemmed, slender leaves are scarcely above ground. They will also tolerate an alkaline soil. I will get some potash and see what happens next year I'm not sure what their ideal conditions are, but I don't think they include living in the UK Iris reticulata seem reluctant to naturalise and increase as some bulbs do - whenever I've grown them, either in pots or in the ground, they decrease year after year.
But you may also be lucky enough to come across 'Lady Beatrice Stanley', which has pale-blue flowers and a mass of dark spotting on the falls, or the similar 'Angel's Eye'. The Reticulated Iris Group Though iris reticulata bulbs may multiply over time, it takes several years for the bulblets to mature and begin flowering.