Several of the irises are in bloom. The Louisiana iris have bloomed but I neglected to snap pictures, and there are several winter-blooming irises, which are, of course, out of season.
There are these small irises, iris Japonica, named Porcelain Maiden. The foliage suffered a bit as it was covered by a downed laurel for too long and so it is difficult to capture the masses of tiny blossoms. I had worried that they were too heavily shaded, as very little light got to them before the laurel was removed. Either they were happy enough, or this was a difficult last gasp. I need to watch them closely over the coming year, as now that the laurel is gone, they may now get too much sun. Below is a detail shot.
The older patch of roof iris, Iris Tectorum, is also in bloom.
These are named "Slippery Slope" and they are blooming well. Below is a detail shot with a bit of an early morning glow.
I planted more roof iris last year, but they are not yet in bloom. Since they were gifted, and I do not remember the specifics from my friend's garden, the specifics shall be a surprise..
Finally, iris versicolor, is in full bloom. This is actually a hybridized version of the native blue flag iris, named John Wood. Above is a single flower that I also posted on instagram, but there are about 8 open now. I transplanted this in a bit of a rush last year, as it was not happy in its temporary holding spot, which was too shaded. It had been rescued from trampling by the men with boots and heavy equipment attacked my yard, and seems quite happy in its new home. Certainly I am happy seeing its blossoms out my kitchen window.
I still plan on putting tall bearded iris and dutch irises as well. As you might surmise I am not convinced that there is such a thing as too many irises, too many hellebores, too many hydrangeas. We will see what else fills out my garden as it continues to evolve.
