Growing Iris reticulata in the Garden (netted irises) - 'Katharine Hodgkin', 'Harmony' & more

[@cheirodosulcanalblog4758]

Ce compost fait le bonheur de tous : chat, rouge gorge et surtout ces superbes fleurs qui ravissent nos yeux en cette fin d'hiver !!! Bonne soirée :)

[@GardeningatDouentza]

Merci beaucoup de vos gentils mots. On attend le printemps avec impatience 😊

[@eileentarrant9220]

I have some Kathryn Hodgkin irises and I love them ,so understated and subtle ,and I need some more as I. Seem to have lost some ,so we’ll remind each other 👍

[@GardeningatDouentza]

It's a deal 🤗

[@sjusovare]

definitely feels like spring..... famous last words...that was sure to bring snow

[@GardeningatDouentza]

I hope not!

[@Veronica-je9qj]

I'm so envious, my Irish sister! Five weeks left of winter here in New York, USA. :)

[@GardeningatDouentza]

Well, I think it has been jinxed because we have snowfall here today. Yesterday there was an inch of snow on top of the iris blooms!

[@KP-gw5zv]

What a bunch of cuties. Thank you for the tips and tricks for growing outside in the garden and pot. Nice to see the sun and looks like it is slightly warm out there.

[@GardeningatDouentza]

Thank you, Kim. It is cold here today with snow but those irises are so plucky. They just bounce right back. Thanks for watching and have a nice day.

[@TomLWaters]

Thank you - very nicely done video about a type of iris that deserves much more attention!

[@GardeningatDouentza]

You are very welcome and I agree about this iris.

[@be6715]

I so agree! Love these iris. For me in my zone 5, IL, USA garden, they are a March or maybe April for me if spring is late. Last year the bees were so happy to see the few in my garden. I plan on adding more each year. Love them!

[@GardeningatDouentza]

Great to find another fan of this wonderful iris 😊

[@fificorina]

You have the most interesting plants Rachel as those beauties, your cat is so cute and that robin bird too, nice capture! :)

[@GardeningatDouentza]

Thank you so much

[@maribelreyes5151]

So beautiful. Thank you Rachel for sharing!!

[@GardeningatDouentza]

Thank you for watching

[@maggiecaceres5376]

Beautiful flowers!!🤗😊🥰🥰

[@GardeningatDouentza]

Thank you. I do love them 🥰

[@laurenb6451]

Thank you for the inspiration! I will for sure keep an eye out for these bulbs this fall. And I LOVE your little robin. (Once I got some Iris siberica plants and ai read that I should leave the seed heads on because they look nice. But husband and son found them and decided to harvest them and sprinkle them all over the yard. They all came up and were tenacious when I tried to remove them. Since then there have been none of any kind of iris except for German Bearded but I may lift that ban now 😸)

[@laurenb6451]

And cute lil Catski! ❤️

[@GardeningatDouentza]

Oh no. What a terrible story. But, rest assured, this little iris is not the same animal as I. siberica at all. You will have no trouble with it. Just don't plant anything on top when it's summer dormant. Good luck!

[@gaiasoundandvision]

I didn't know about these little Beauties ~ will get some in Autumn :) and loved seeing the kitty & Robins too :) Thank you for sharing :)

[@GardeningatDouentza]

Oh, do look out for this iris. It is a complete gem. I am glad you liked the video and my local wildlife :) Have a great weekend!

[@wandashaw3551]

So pretty. Don't forget to buy more bulbs! 🌺🌸🌷💮🕊🐦

[@GardeningatDouentza]

Great. Thank you 😊

[@lucythecat529]

Loved the irises! Loved kitty the supervisor! Did someone say worms? Mr bird was beautiful and chirpy? Gorgeous!

[@GardeningatDouentza]

♥️🌷🥀💐

[@FernandaNascimentoOrchids]

They look absolutely gorgeous and I like them a lot better then the dutch ones exactly for beeing shorter. I don't know if I can find them here but first I must find out if they would grow in my climat. In my wish list, though.

[@GardeningatDouentza]

I'm not so mad about the Dutch irises myself. They are a cross between two Mediterranean species, as far as I recall. But I might give them another go. I hope you manage to find and grow the reticulata. It is so nice to have them to look forward to 🤗 Thanks for watching and happy growing.

[@plantsmaninboston4677]

They are stunning! I planted some last fall and now they are blooming! Do you deadhead them?

[@GardeningatDouentza]

Iris reticulata is one of my favourites too. I never bother to deadhead them.

[@plantsmaninboston4677]

@@GardeningatDouentza thank you so much for the reply. I’ll definitely plant more this fall

[@emanovska]

I wish! 2 feet of snow on the ground and snowing now. Tonight the temps will drop to around -13F. Long way to go for spring yet. I've tried them before and they don't survive. A few make it back up but they slowly fade away.

[@GardeningatDouentza]

Sorry to hear that

[@laurenb6451]

Rachel, this is an off topic question. i hope it’s OK to ask you. I am about to plant seeds for Geranium macrorrhizum but I don’t understand why I am supposed to put the seeds in sand first to stratify and then plant afterward. Can’t I plant them and stratify in the flat in the fridge? 💚

[@laurenb6451]

These are the puzzling directions: Sow indoors. Prior to sowing cold stratify. Place seeds in a bag with damp sand at 4°C. for 4 weeks then sow 2mm deep into moist well-drained seed compost. Cover with a fine layer of compost. Propagate. Ideal temp. 15°C. Germination takes 14-42 days.

[@GardeningatDouentza]

Hi Lauren, the instructions you are reading refer to a cold, moist stratification for the seeds. This can be done in damp sand before sowing, as suggested, or by sowing your seed in compost in the normal way and then placing the seed tray in the fridge. With either way, keep an eye out for germination as any seedlings that germinate in the fridge will need to come out (I guess this is easier in damp sand where you can just remove one seedling from the bag, rather than the whole tray). Hope this helps.

[@laurenb6451]

Thank you! I will stratify in potting mix and if anything comes up early I will remove it with a pointy teaspoon that my great Aunt Florence stole from PanAm many decades ago when they used metal cutlery!

[@sunnyday7869]

Question: My iris reticulata's are spent and the green leaves are only what's left. My package says to cut back after flowers are spent. Should I cut them now or wait until they have begun to die back? Thank you. 😊💐

[@GardeningatDouentza]

For all bulbs, wait untill the foliage has died away completely before cutting. The foliage is feeding the bulb and building up reserves for next year. If you cut the foliage when it's green the bulbs may not flower next year.

[@sunnyday7869]

@@GardeningatDouentza Thank you very much!♥️

[@bluebowser3121]

My issue with Katharine Hodgkin Iris is that the flowers don't last. If it rains the petals turn to mush and they fall off. I have 2 other Iris Reticulata varieties called "George" and "Pixie" that last longer and can handle the rain.

[@GardeningatDouentza]

You are right about Katharine lasting less well than other reticulated but if you love her, you love her!

[@miche7032]

👍🏼👍🏼

[@Bamboo4U2]

Hi. Is the blue iris the Siberica?

[@GardeningatDouentza]

All the irises in this video are I. reticulata. The dark blue one is Iris reticulata 'Harmony'.

[@michaelmccarthy4077]

So nice of you to bring out a bunch of worms for the birds to eat.

[@GardeningatDouentza]

That is the way it turned out until the cat turned up!!!

[@GardeningatDouentza]

It was a proper menagerie 😁

[@nfnmzyf09]

Why did you throw out the tulips at 4:37?

[@GardeningatDouentza]

Because they were blind

[@emmitstewart1921]

What kind of bird was that?

[@GardeningatDouentza]

That's a robin. He always comes to help 😊

[@jellybeanstalk6]

how much should you water them?

[@GardeningatDouentza]

Not at all. Once established in the ground these plants should not need watering.

[@jellybeanstalk6]

@@GardeningatDouentza thank you so much. what if it’s inside and not outside should i be watering them?

[@GardeningatDouentza]

@@jellybeanstalk6 Anything I a pot needs watering. I'd say water to keep just moist when in active growth. Do keep it in a cool room though. It is an outdoor plant.

[@jellybeanstalk6]

@@GardeningatDouentza thank you so much!!

[@tourmaline7742]

Don't forget to buy more.. : )

[@GardeningatDouentza]

Haha. Thank you. There were none available last autumn with lockdown.