Iris Blooming Time - April 2014

My irises began blooming last week so I started taking pictures of them at the height of their glory.  All of my irises were ordered through Schreiners and Cooleys mail order nurseries about 12 years ago.  Schreiners is still in business - here's the link:

http://www.schreinersgardens.com/?gclid=COiJ-LHB9b0CFenm7AodWwgAEg

I was sad to hear that Cooleys closed down.  Below is a blog post about their closing.
http://theamericanirissociety.blogspot.com/2011/10/cooleys-gardens-classic-garden-closes.html

Irises typically bloom in April in North Texas.  They require thinning every few years.  I will probably thin this clump out sometime during the summer after they have bloomed.  Here is a good discussion about how to thin the plants out properly.
http://www.wikihow.com/Divide-Bearded-Irises

The wonderful thing about irises is that there are always plenty to share with your friends!

The walk up to the front porch changes weekly based on the different flowers in bloom.  Festus is always checking the pretty flowers out!