Hello all!

Bought some black irises from Walmart last night and the clerk told me that
her black irises only stayed black one year? What does this mean and what
can I do to keep my irises black? Thanks!

-Jessica

not sure what type I have (outside of bearded) but mine have been black
the last few years. I will admit the cooler winters seem to make the
black more intense but they are at worst a faded black color.

I am wondering if it is a dyed, iris, I have read of these but never
seen one.

J~

Jessi wrote:

Hello all!

Bought some black irises from Walmart last night and the clerk told me that
her black irises only stayed black one year? What does this mean and what
can I do to keep my irises black? Thanks!

-Jessica

Died irises. Hmm. I wouldn't hold it against Walmart to sell something of
that sort!


"J~" wrote in message ...
not sure what type I have (outside of bearded) but mine have been black
the last few years. I will admit the cooler winters seem to make the
black more intense but they are at worst a faded black color.

I am wondering if it is a dyed, iris, I have read of these but never
seen one.

J~

Jessi wrote:

Hello all!

Bought some black irises from Walmart last night and the clerk told me
that
her black irises only stayed black one year? What does this mean and
what
can I do to keep my irises black? Thanks!

-Jessica

there is such a thing as a black iris. It's so dark purple it appears to be
black. I have them thanks to Mary Emma, a dear gardening friend and
mentor/mother person. Mine have bloomed "black" now for three years. You
won't have to do anything to "keep them black" as they're genetically this
way. They are not dyed, nor will they "revert" back to blue or another
color. They will stop blooming so much when they get overcrowded, but you've
just started so you don't have to worry about dividing them yet. Enjoy them
once they get cranked up. Remember, plant them toes on top of the
soil................madgardener who shared a nice toe of black iris with a
garden friend this spring.
"Jessi" wrote in message
...
Hello all!

Bought some black irises from Walmart last night and the clerk told me
that
her black irises only stayed black one year? What does this mean and what
can I do to keep my irises black? Thanks!

-Jessica

In article , "Madgardener" wrote:
there is such a thing as a black iris. It's so dark purple it appears to be
black. I have them thanks to Mary Emma, a dear gardening friend and
mentor/mother person. Mine have bloomed "black" now for three years. You
won't have to do anything to "keep them black" as they're genetically this
way.

In fact, there's even a wild species of iris that always extremely dark
purple-to-black. It's native to the Negev Desert.

cheers,

Marj

* * *
Marj Tiefert: http://www.mindspring.com/~mtiefert/
Mediterranean Garden Shop: http://stores.tiefert.com/garden/
In Sunset zone 14-mild

I'm much reassured! Thanks!

"Madgardener" wrote in message
...
there is such a thing as a black iris. It's so dark purple it appears to
be
black. I have them thanks to Mary Emma, a dear gardening friend and
mentor/mother person. Mine have bloomed "black" now for three years. You
won't have to do anything to "keep them black" as they're genetically this
way. They are not dyed, nor will they "revert" back to blue or another
color. They will stop blooming so much when they get overcrowded, but
you've
just started so you don't have to worry about dividing them yet. Enjoy
them
once they get cranked up. Remember, plant them toes on top of the
soil................madgardener who shared a nice toe of black iris with a
garden friend this spring.
"Jessi" wrote in message
...
Hello all!

Bought some black irises from Walmart last night and the clerk told me
that
her black irises only stayed black one year? What does this mean and
what
can I do to keep my irises black? Thanks!

-Jessica

Jessi wrote:

Bought some black irises from Walmart last night and the clerk told me that
her black irises only stayed black one year? What does this mean and what
can I do to keep my irises black? Thanks!

First of all, I never, NEVER buy plants from a hardware store,
lumber yard, or department store.

What is the name of the variety? (If you bought them from a plant
nursery, they would be labeled with a recognized variety name or
at least sold from a bin with the name on it.) I have a bearded
iris called "Study in Midnight" that is so dark a purple that,
even close up except in bright light, it looks black. It has been
"black" for possibly 10 years or more in my garden.

--
David E. Ross
Climate: California Mediterranean
Sunset Zone: 19 -- interior Santa Monica Mountains with some ocean
influence (USDA 10a)
Gardening pages at http://www.rossde.com/garden/

"David Ross" wrote in message
...
Jessi wrote:

Bought some black irises from Walmart last night and the clerk told me
that
her black irises only stayed black one year? What does this mean and
what
can I do to keep my irises black? Thanks!

First of all, I never, NEVER buy plants from a hardware store,
lumber yard, or department store.
snip
--
David E. Ross

I hear what you're saying, but buying iris rhizomes or plants from one of
these places does not necessarily court disaster. Two years ago on impulse,
I saw and bought rhizomes of Silverado and Batik, two irises I wanted, at
WalMart at a price so low that I figured I wouldn't be out much if they
didn't survive. Both survived and were absolutely spectacular this past
spring. If I had ordered them from a "reputable" source, I would have paid
four times as much.

If the price is right, and your pockets are not deep, an occasional flyer
can be worth your effort.
John

Hay David, you wouldn't have a little start of that one I could get from you?
I'd like to add it to my iris graden I have out here in the Mojave Desert.

High Mojave Desert Iris
http://desert-iris.netfirms.com/

--
"In this universe the night was falling,the shadows were lengthening
towards an east that would not know another dawn.
But elsewhere the stars were still young and the light of morning
lingered: and along the path he once had followed, man would one day go
again."

Arthur C. Clarke, The City & The Stars

SIAR
www.starlords.org
Freelance Writers Shop
http://www.freelancewrittersshop.netfirms.com
Telescope Buyers FAQ
http://home.inreach.com/starlord
Ad World
http://adworld.netfirms.com

"David Ross" wrote in message
...
Jessi wrote:

Bought some black irises from Walmart last night and the clerk told me that
her black irises only stayed black one year? What does this mean and what
can I do to keep my irises black? Thanks!

First of all, I never, NEVER buy plants from a hardware store,
lumber yard, or department store.

What is the name of the variety? (If you bought them from a plant
nursery, they would be labeled with a recognized variety name or
at least sold from a bin with the name on it.) I have a bearded
iris called "Study in Midnight" that is so dark a purple that,
even close up except in bright light, it looks black. It has been
"black" for possibly 10 years or more in my garden.

--
David E. Ross
Climate: California Mediterranean
Sunset Zone: 19 -- interior Santa Monica Mountains with some ocean
influence (USDA 10a)
Gardening pages at http://www.rossde.com/garden/


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Starlord wrote:

Hay David, you wouldn't have a little start of that one I could get from you?
I'd like to add it to my iris graden I have out here in the Mojave Desert.

I previously wrote [in part]:
I have a bearded
iris called "Study in Midnight" that is so dark a purple that,
even close up except in bright light, it looks black. It has been
"black" for possibly 10 years or more in my garden.

Remember to contact me again next September. I'm not dividing my
iris this year. When I do divide them, I always have some nice,
robust rhizomes that I trash because no one seems to want them.

Next to 'Study in Midnight', I have 'Henry Shaw', which is white.
The black and white blooming next to each other is striking.

--

David E. Ross
http://www.rossde.com/

Concerned about someone snooping into your E-mail?
Use PGP. See my http://www.rossde.com/PGP/

Take a look at my iris web site, gives you an idea of what I have.

http://desert-iris.netfirms.com/


--
"In this universe the night was falling,the shadows were lengthening
towards an east that would not know another dawn.
But elsewhere the stars were still young and the light of morning
lingered: and along the path he once had followed, man would one day go
again."

Arthur C. Clarke, The City & The Stars

SIAR
www.starlords.org
Freelance Writers Shop
http://www.freelancewrittersshop.netfirms.com
Telescope Buyers FAQ
http://home.inreach.com/starlord
Ad World
http://adworld.netfirms.com

"David Ross" wrote in message
...

Remember to contact me again next September. I'm not dividing my
iris this year. When I do divide them, I always have some nice,
robust rhizomes that I trash because no one seems to want them.

Next to 'Study in Midnight', I have 'Henry Shaw', which is white.
The black and white blooming next to each other is striking.

--

David E. Ross
http://www.rossde.com/

Concerned about someone snooping into your E-mail?
Use PGP. See my http://www.rossde.com/PGP/


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Version: 6.0.525 / Virus Database: 322 - Release Date: 10/9/03

My, what a lovely collection you have!!



"Starlord" wrote in message
...
Take a look at my iris web site, gives you an idea of what I have.

http://desert-iris.netfirms.com/

And not all of them have bloomed either. Right now I have a yellow wal-mart
rebloomer in full bloom too.


--
"In this universe the night was falling,the shadows were lengthening
towards an east that would not know another dawn.
But elsewhere the stars were still young and the light of morning
lingered: and along the path he once had followed, man would one day go
again."

Arthur C. Clarke, The City & The Stars

SIAR
www.starlords.org
Freelance Writers Shop
http://www.freelancewrittersshop.netfirms.com
Telescope Buyers FAQ
http://home.inreach.com/starlord
Ad World
http://adworld.netfirms.com

"Jessi" wrote in message
...
My, what a lovely collection you have!!



"Starlord" wrote in message
...
Take a look at my iris web site, gives you an idea of what I have.

http://desert-iris.netfirms.com/





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Checked by AVG anti-virus system (http://www.grisoft.com).
Version: 6.0.525 / Virus Database: 322 - Release Date: 10/9/03

"Starlord" wrote in message
...
And not all of them have bloomed either. Right now I have a yellow
wal-mart
rebloomer in full bloom too.

You have a beautiful collection and the pictures were great. I grinned a bit
about the reference to the yellow rebloomer from WalMart after the pounding
WalMart has taken from a certain segment of the contributers to this ng!
VBG

John

"Starlord" wrote in message
...
Take a look at my iris web site, gives you an idea of what I have.

http://desert-iris.netfirms.com/