JAPANESE IRIS

Presently I have only one JAPANESE IRIS (ensata), and it is a real beauty!  Japanese Iris are beardless, round, flat, about 4-8"-wide flowers.  They bloom through mid-summer; and are on plants that form a clump, usually 2 - 2 1/2' high.  They have grass like leaves, and the flowers can be single or double.  I prefer the singles.  They have huge, showy falls, and their standards point downwards.  They come in a variety of violets, blues, purples, white, roses, pinks and I've even seen a wine red one.  I have the cultivar "Dimity."  It is a huge, (8" across), beautiful blue with white veining.  They grow in full sun, or partial shade, and like very rich, acidic soil.  They  like constantly moist soil, even boggy soil during times of active growth in the spring or summer, but in the winter it needs drier conditions, not constantly wet ones.  You need to space them about 9-12 inches apart, and to divide, do so in early spring or early fall every 3-4 years.  It's a good idea to mulch Japanese Iris, but be careful not to pile the mulch over the crowns.  What I like about Japanese Iris is that they are disease and pest resistant.  I think they are absolutely gorgeous!  If you have an area where you think they'd do well, I highly recommend Japanese Iris.  You can order them from mail-order catalogs, and some nurseries have them as well.