Irises Beginning to Take Off in Preparation for Spring February 15, 2015

I have many varieties of bearded irises.  Most of them I have been given, or I have saved from deserted properties.  They are old fashioned types.  But hardy and tough.  Of course, I guess they all are pretty tough because the have an excellent drought tolerance due to the thick corm that stores water and doles it out in times of drought.  Irises are early spring bloomers, so they will be long gone by the time of the wedding.  Too bad, they are very elegant flowers.

 Above, Janine Snapp gave me these.  I won't know what color they are until they bloom this year.  Janine found them outside of the bloom time, so she didn't know what color they were when she gave them to me.  They are surrounded by wildflower seedlings, Ox Eye Daisy, and a dormant Dwarf Flowering Almond shrub.

 Above, I have had these irises for years.  Some of them are Paul Redmond  irises, but most of them are purple beardeds.  I also have Parrot Glads in this bed (still dormant), some thyme, and some wildflower seedlings.  There is also a double red Althea (not pictured) growing in this bed.

Above, another view point.
Below, all the irises in this bed have been here for years - Paul Redmond and some pink beardeds.  The tree growing in the background of the picture is a Harlequin Glorybower.

 Above, these irises were also given to me by Janine, so the color will be a surprise.  Verbena Bonariensis seedlings, Mexican sedum, and oregano are also in this bed.  The shrub just barely in the photo is a Pink Cloud Kolkwitzia amabilis shrub.

 Above, I dug these irises up from the yard of a deserted house on Nixon Lake Road last year, so I don't know what the color is.  There are also some gold irises in this bed that I bought at the Bulb Mart two years ago.  In the foreground of the photo are Candida rain lilies.

Above, more Janine irises as well as some Ox Blood lilies, Ox Eye Daisy, and Corn Flags.  I have chicken wire around most of it because the rabbits ate my Corn Flags last year and I didn't get a single bloom.  I am being pro-active this year and protecting them.