Lovely irises and great images, Sue. I particularly like the one of Queen's Circle!

I'm always struck by the fact that an iris can be a "weed" , in one area, and such a "dud", in another !

William A. Setchell - can't kill it! In fact, if left unchecked, it might just take over the world. [/quote]

William Setchell and Wabash were my very favorites in my mother's garden in the 1950's. I remember William smelling heavenly, of concord grapes.

SIBERIAN IRISES!

caitlinsgarden said:More Thrivers:
Concertina
Dauntless
Superstition
Habit
Flavascens
Celebration Song
Splashacata
Hotel Roma
Jurassic Park
Strozzapretti
Thornbird
Rhages

TALL WHITE HUSKY NOID!

Well, this year is a real test for thrivers/survivors. A terrible spring with constant freeze, thaw. Plus I haven't used merit in years, and I suspect a few borers have snuck in...
A new survivor wanna-be is "Sheer Excitement"
Maui Moonlight
Red Zinger

Man's Best Friend comes back if I move some rhizomes around. Maybe that is the secret. But first you have to have a nice clump that you can split up and move around, and after that it doesn't hurt to lose a few rhizomes to rot.

More and more I am admiring things that mostly take care of themselves!
Peonies, perennial Tulips, Siberian Irises, Hostas, sedums, daylilies. I welcome any irises that want to join the old lady's party! Just realized that I planned and planted a garden for eternal youth and energy, and alas, youth is not eternal!

My thrivers are

The NoIDs
All of the Louisiana Irises
Man's Best Friend
Happenstance
Córdoba
Ruby Morn
Romantic Evening
Indian Chief
Brilliant Idea
Table for Two

I noticed that Rob said that 'Total Recall' is a thriver.

Mine is growing in one gallon pots in a whole lot of shade, yet they rooted themselves into the granite fines and have not only bloomed but rebloomed. I'm not sure that can be called thriving (I almost pity my plants... almost) but it certainly speaks well of the iris.

(I really need to dig them out this summer and put them somewhere better...)

caitlinsgarden said:I welcome any irises that want to join the old lady's party! Just realized that I planned and planted a garden for eternal youth and energy, and alas, youth is not eternal!

Caitlin ~ You sure got that right! I am in the same boat...trying not to drown!

Evelyn

evelyninthegarden said:
Caitlin ~ You sure got that right! I am in the same boat...trying not to drown!

I'm ALREADY drowning!

And there's a tidal wave incoming this summer!

Polymerous said:And there's a tidal wave incoming this summer!

Marilyn ~ Tidal wave will be arriving here, too!!!

Yes, let's hear it for Loisiana iris and Siberians! I have a somewhat boggy area due to the neighbor's sump pump overflow. Many things have died in that area. We've had so much rain this spring that even my forsythia hedge is dying on that side of the yard. But the Loisiana iris simply love it! Red Velvet Elvis (Louisiana iris) put on an amazing and prolonged show for me this year. Such a pretty velvety red! The reds are much truer in Louisianas, and the flowers are much bigger than the Siberians. And both are so much more resistant to iris borer than are the bearded iris. I've a huge clump of White Swirl Siberian iris that I've left totally untended since one root of it was planted in about 1988. And it blooms like crazy every year without fail. In a mostly shady area no less!

When I pull out the dead forsythias this summer, I'm thinking of planting that whole area in Louisianas and Siberians. I always hated that forsythia hedge, anyway.

DaisyDo said:Yes, let's hear it for Loisiana iris and Siberians! I have a somewhat boggy area due to the neighbor's sump pump overflow. Many things have died in that area. We've had so much rain this spring that even my forsythia hedge is dying on that side of the yard. But the Loisiana iris simply love it! Red Velvet Elvis (Louisiana iris) put on an amazing and prolonged show for me this year. Such a pretty velvety red! The reds are much truer in Louisianas, and the flowers are much bigger than the Siberians. And both are so much more resistant to iris borer than are the bearded iris. I've a huge clump of White Swirl Siberian iris that I've left totally untended since one root of it was planted in about 1988. And it blooms like crazy every year without fail. In a mostly shady area no less!

When I pull out the dead forsythias this summer, I'm thinking of planting that whole area in Louisianas and Siberians. I always hated that forsythia hedge, anyway.

Daisy ~ Do you have any pictures?

Evelyn, Yes, But I'm so bad. I Haven't unloaded the photos from my camera that I've taken over the past year. OMG, I need to do that. Will have to download them to my laptop computer, then make photo-adjusted copies of lower resolution, then upload the latter to my Nook. From there I can upload them to the site. You see, I no longer keep my laptop connected to the internet. Saving it all for a rainy day when other things on my Do List are not more pressing.

This year I have a whole different take on the idea of "Thrivers" Due to the nearly total loss of way too many of my irises, even the old reliables. Borers and rot. Almost all in one large bed, but some in other areas also. I am digging what I can and find that Swingtown, Gingerbread Castle, Thornbird, Loreley, Vingolf are the thrivers this year.

Daisy ~ So you are using your Nook as a tablet? I have just been taking pictures with my phone. It is not the hassle of loading onto my computer and then uploading them to the forum. I suppose eventually I will have to go back to using the camera, as I have so many photos on my phone.

Caitlin ~ I only have two irises that are on your list, Thornbird and Swingtown. First year for both. Swingtown was very late in waking up, but it produced the latest bloom.
Actually, I was surprised to see it bloom.

Evelyn, yes, I do not have a smart phone. We had one for awhile, but my Hubby got tired of using a toothpick to key in stuff on the impossibly tiny keys. And since I have a totally awesome dedicated digital camera, I have not particularly wanted another phone/camera.

So the transfer of photos is necessary, and a pain in the neck, but when I do get around to it, the photos are gorgeous. I just don't get around to it very often.

Daisy ~ We will (try to) be patient, while waiting for your photos... (fingers and toes tapping)