Irises

[gradus]

They are terrific this year for health colour and scent. If you get a chance to visit a growers field don't miss it.

[DracoM]

Agreed. Some are already 5-6ft high!

[Anastasius]

Not in Northumberland

My wife is a very keen and extremely competent gardener. The love of her life are rare irises and peonies. She had acquired probably one of the best collections of rare peonies in the country. And irises. And agapanthus. We screwed up three years ago and panicked on the house move from Worcestershire up here. The climate is dire. Nay...worse than dire. No-one gardens. They've realised that it is a futile exercise. Each day, she gets more and more despondent as yet another rare and irreplaceable plant succumbs to the vile climate here.

[vinteuil]

.

... some nice paeonies - and a few iris - in Gertrude Jekyll's garden on Lindisfarne, though?

.

[gradus]

Not in Northumberland

My wife is a very keen and extremely competent gardener. The love of her life are rare irises and peonies. She had acquired probably one of the best collections of rare peonies in the country. And irises. And agapanthus. We screwed up three years ago and panicked on the house move from Worcestershire up here. The climate is dire. Nay...worse than dire. No-one gardens. They've realised that it is a futile exercise. Each day, she gets more and more despondent as yet another rare and irreplaceable plant succumbs to the vile climate here.

I'm sorry to hear that. I share your wife's love of and collecting instinct for paeonies and irises and do hope she can find a way of keeping some at least thriving - one thinks of polytunnels and greenhouses but I realise these are expensive and not always practicable.

[Dave2002]

We moved even further north than Northumberland. The climate and environmental conditions are odd. Weeds seem to thrive, but things we plant, and actually want to grow and survive seem to have serious difficulties. Polytunnels have been mentioned, but I fear that they may blow away if there sre any strong winds. It's not been too windy here reently, and when we have had high winds at least those didn't blow out fence panels, which was beginning to happen most years in Surrey. Now, somewhat surprisingly, it has at last become very sunny and warm - and that might dry some plants too much.

[Barbirollians]

We moved even further north than Northumberland. The climate and environmental conditions are odd. Weeds seem to thrive, but things we plant, and actually want to grow and survive seem to have serious difficulties. Polytunnels have been mentioned, but I fear that they may blow away if there sre any strong winds. It's not been too windy here reently, and when we have had high winds at least those didn't blow out fence panels, which was beginning to happen most years in Surrey. Now, somewhat surprisingly, it has at last become very sunny and warm - and that might dry some plants too much.

My irises have come up blind - probably need separating .

[Serial_Apologist]

In my lifetime I have not known that many Irises.

[gradus]

In my lifetime I have not known that many Irises.

... hence away.