The first looks like it could be daylilies. The second is definitely iris (probably bearded) and you may have them in a little too much shade to bloom. Hope that helps :)

Kristi

Yep, I think that first one is a white daylily. Thanks! As for the others, yep Mom said Iris (I think) but again, they haven't bloomed. They're in shady areas so maybe I need to move them?

"maybe I need to move them?"

Yes :)

Kristi

Move them? Only if you want blooms....:) They love full sun, as much as you can give them.

terry

LOL, well I guess I'll move them. ;) Interestingly enough, most of what I've seen online says that they do well in partial shade. I guess the partial shade I have is just too much shade. Thanks again for the help!

The first photo looks like crinum;
they're nice old heirloom plants.
They used to be called "milk-&-wine lilies", but they're not actually lilies, they're related to amaryllises.

Not all crinums are milk & wine;
there are also pink ones & mine are solid mauve.

they like full sun, & their blooms are huge trumpet-shaped things, a whole bunch on each bloom stalk, the bloom pattern is sort of like fritillaria (sp?)

Those look like they could stand to be divided, but I might wait until autumn to keep from interfering with their bloom season.
Be very careful when you're digging around in there;
the bulbs are huge (some of mine are the size of coconuts!), & it's easy to spear them.

They reproduce by making "daughter" bulbs to the sides of the "mother" bulb.
So you can't just pick a few plants out & leave the rest; you have to dig up the whole family & separate them.

The irises may need more sun, but they may also be planted a little too deeply;
the very tip of the rhizome, at the base of the leaf fan, should be visible.

(Don't ask me how I know this.
I just do.)

I have irises in mostly shade and they bloom. They only get about a couple of hours sun around noon till 2 pm.
The plant in the frist picture looks like there is a mixture of daylilies and one looks like a Crinum?

Thanks for the information on Crinum. I looked at some images and I think it's crinum x herbertii, milk & wine lilies. They're beautiful that's for sure! I'll watch them over the summer and divide them in the fall, being careful with the bulbs.

As for the irises, I can't see the rhizome so yep they must be planted too deep. They've been here since we bought the place but I haven't seen them bloom. Can those be moved now or should I wait on those, also?

If I knew that they didn't bloom last year, I'd go ahead & move them.

If I didn't know for sure that they didn't bloom last year, I'd wait until about mid-May to be sure I wasn't interrupting their bloom cycle.

"They say" to move irises in late August or in September, but I'm too hot & miserable to do it then, & here in our climate, the irises don't seem to care.

I have crinums like that & just divided them last month because we were moving a wall beside them. They had grown & multiplied so tightly together that I cut some of them in half to get to the bulbs. I figured I ruined them & threw them in the hole they came out of & lo & behold they are growing! The lady at the local nursery told me that someone on Martha Stewart was dividing these by slicing them in half on purpose.

Well, someone commented that it looks like daylilies next to the crinums. I don't know if that's what they are but there is something on either side of the crinum. Something different than the crinum and I don't recall them blooming, either. But that area is full sun so shade wouldn't be the issue with them.

To get to the crinum bulbs, I might have to dig up the daylilies, right? They're all clumped together so I'll have to be careful but I don't think I can carefully dig the crinum bulbs without moving the daylilies first. Or am I looking at this the wrong way? I think I need to dig them all up and replant them, giving them more space. Is that correct?

Slicing them on purpose? Ohhhh, that just sounds scary!

Thanks for your help, everyone!

Bone, here's a link to good care of iris. It just about covers every reason why your iris are not blooming. Just click the link below.

Kristi

Here is a link that might be useful: Irises not blooming

The lilies might need some fertilizer if they are not blooming. You can use compost or slow release fertilizer.

Kristi, thanks for posting that. I found it last night while doing a search for iris issues and it was helpful. :) I've got some compost I can use on the lilies. Do I just work it into the soil around them? Sorry but I'm not sure what to do. You guys are great, though. :)

There's a precise technique for propagating bulbs by slicing them;
you have to get a certain type of tissue with each slice.

Somewhere on the Amaryllis Forum someone posted the technique.

Daylilies are easy to move;
they're related to onions, & each plant usually has a cluster of fat little root nodes, so you aren't likely to ruin one by moving it.

Before you fertilize the irises, check on the Iris Forum for the right kind of fertilizer;
irises rot if they get too much nitrogen.

I think Bobbie, my iris-maniac friend, uses Osmacote (sp?).

Best luck, & have fun!

Your first picture looks like agapanthum (lily of the nile). The second & third pictures look like beard irisis. I have a few that only bloomed the first year I planted them. They only bloom if winter weather gets very cold. The last picture looks like a mixture of beard irisis & daylilies. Daylilies are very good growers & don't require much. I fertilize mine with "Hookers Formula" twice per year.