The irises are starting...

[Garden_of_Mu]

Thanks to DorisJ I have this wonderful little deep purple form of i. lutescens. Always the first to bloom, it is just 4 inches tall (tho the foliage reaches 10" as the season goes on).

[oldcoot]

Wowee !! They are beautiful........Thanks for showing the Old Coot some springtime.

[Linda P]

Thanks, Mike! Love those little guys.

Linda P

[Garden_of_Mu]

I don't have many of the small ones, so early bloom is sparse here. Here's one of the few MDBs. A very sweet little yellow amoena. I really like the colors and plan to put some grape hyacinths and daffs near it as they are blooming now too.

[Patrushka]

So pretty! I especially like the little yellow one.

[petal*pusher]

Hi Mike! I have this very iris...at least it sure looks like the same one!
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About 20 yrs. ago, as I was walking thru the old cemetary where relatives are resting...I found several little rhizomes hidden in the grass way out in front of my Great Grandpa's gravestone. From many years of mowing in this dry clay-soiled cemetary, they had survived by being tossed out into the grass where they were repeatedly mowed but not able to bloom! I was so sure they were iris...even tho the tiny pieces were all dried and looked dead, there were short little raggedy leaves trying to survive! There were absolutely no trace of these little fellas up around the gravestone...and had taken about 60 - 70 years to get out in the grass!

I carefully popped about 10 out of the ground...took 'em home and placed in a bucket with an inch of water. Several days later (because I forgot about them) I planted them in a pot. Those poor little guys were SO HAPPY to have a chance at growing their leaves out! Very early the next spring, I was surprised to find them blooming!! A beautiful deep purple blossom...very short plant...and such a welcome sight after a long snowy winter.

Every year I go back and pop a few more out of that dry ground...I've shared more than I can count...and they have colonized in many areas of my gardens. I always called them "Cemetary Iris" because of where I found them.....but a friend who I shared them with found an article saying that this is exactly what they are!!! This variety was often planted in cemetaries long ago! If you need more....I got 'em!!! Pam

[petal*pusher]

[img][IMG]http://thumb1.webshots.net/s/thumb1/7/35/1/72473501jGSfmu_th.jpg[/img][/img]

[img][IMG]http://thumb1.webshots.net/s/thumb1/7/35/83/72473583vynFeo_th.jpg[/img][/img]

Here are a couple gardens they are in...the last one shows a trowel, so you can get the scale of these tiny beauties!

[BillyB]

Very nice Mike! I don't have single MDB in my collection & I'm missing out some special little beauties.

Billy

[nanny_56]

Oh...that first one looks like my little ones!! They are sooo cute!

[Garden_of_Mu]

Pam - Yours sure look like the ones I have. How cool they are spread about old cemeteries! I have several varieties that various friends collected in the same manner. It used to be a traditional grave flower. Unfortunately cemetery plantings are discouraged nowadays.