Louisiana Iris

[trish]

I wanted to share with you my Black Gamecock Louisiana Iris.  After two years it finally bloomed last month and I was just stunned at how gorgeous the coloring was.  It's planted in my shallow stream bed and the tuber freezes solid every year, which always amazes me that it's able to come back in the spring after that. 

Also, seed pods are forming and they are huge.  Do I leave them go like I do with the Siberian Iris or cut them off?  Since it's the first time they've bloomed I don't know.   

[tootsie]

Trish, those are wonderful You have a stream running through your property!!!!! I bought some of them a few times, but could never get them to grow Would they grow in the shallow part of my pond? HMMMMM, yours are just gorgeous I would try to grow them from seeds?
Tootsie

[Reedman]

Nice pics!  I have a gamecock iris - my favorite.  It bloomed two years ago, not last year, bloomed this year - go figure . . .

[tinkster]

I love your stream and iris!

tink

[scokaw]

That color is amazing.  I got some early this year and now I can't wait for them to bloom.

[maryvonne]

Love the rich colour!

Maryvonne

[trish]

Thank you all for the compliments.   

tootsie - I wish the stream ran through my property, but it just goes a few feet from my waterfall box into the pond.  Woman made.    

Reedman - with your experience, should I expect blooms every other year then?

[tootsie]

I won't tell It sure looks like a wonderful pond and water way to me How did you come up with your design?
Tootsie

[Desertponder]

Yes, BG iris is really pretty. I have a hard time keeping them, they don't often live through the winter for me.
I bought some last year and when it bloomed it was light purple so I figured I had a mismarked plant but this year when it bloomed it was the dark purple. They are quite striking.

[miguynmkoi]

Love the look of your stream!  The black Gamecock is my favorite iris in my bog pot and pond-bog bareroot.  As it grows older (years) it will get very large rhys (?) and you can cut off pieces to share or move to another spot.  You'll get blooms every year.  Remember to fertilize like you do with water lilies.

Great photos!

[trish]

I won't tell It sure looks like a wonderful pond and water way to me How did you come up with your design?
Tootsie

Thank you and I came up with the design after looking at a gazillion pond and stream pictures.  Unfortunately I wasn't a very good engineer because it does have a few faults, but until I can manage the redo it'll will have to suffice.

Desertponder - Mine is very shallowly planted and only anchored with a few rocks so the rhizomes freezes solid during the winter.  I'm surprised yours don't live through your winter if it can survive in my zone 5.

miguynmkoi - thank you for your kind words.  I have never fertilized it...  how would I go about doing so?  I use the fert tabs for my lilies, so would I just stick it among the rhizome?  If so when would be the best time?  Early spring?

I bought some of them a few times, but could never get them to grow Would they grow in the shallow part of my pond? HMMMMM, yours are just gorgeous I would try to grow them from seeds?
Tootsie

Forgot to answer you on this.  I have two other Louisiana Iris in my pond, just buried in pond pebbles.  Snowdrift bloomed for me this year, but the Yellow Flag hasn't yet and it's probably because it's buried deeper than the other two? 

[miguynmkoi]

I have never fertilized it...  how would I go about doing so?  I use the fert tabs for my lilies, so would I just stick it among the rhizome?  If so when would be the best time?  Early spring?

I use tomato spike fertilizer in the early spring with my potted LL's but the one I have in a colander pot is bare-rooted and in the koi pond.  Seems it does fine w/o fertilizer (unless you count fish poo as fertilizer 

[bunny56lbc]

Love you're stream too ! 
I have Black Gamecock iris too , it's one of my favorite's !

bonnie