How long have you had them in? Mine have a distinct season for flowering, you could have flowers just around the corner if they're growing OK otherwise. Like you say, hard to imagine them not doing well, unless perhaps you're being too nice to them ;O)

Hi - thanks for that - It is possible that they're behind the times because my garden's a bit lower and cooler than the roadside. Do they not flower if you treat them well, though? The plants look great - well less so after the hail storms of yesterday and the night before, but generally the picture of health. But as they are in a mixed, messy bed, they get as much water and food as surrounding things, including bulbs and arum lilles and various things like foxgloves, which have just looked like huge un-shiny salads for over a year and are now really shredded from hail. Anyway, I didn't realise they liked neglect. I'm not moving everything else, so maybe I just have to like their strappy foliage, although I wouldn't ha ve put so many just for that.
Thank again
Jacqui

To be honest, I've never tried to pamper them. Mine have always been left to fend for themselves, which like the roadside plantings mean dry and hot and generally very sunny. I was just brainstorming really. The rest of your planting sounds like moist shade lovers. If you don't get flowers over this season, perhaps you could try putting them in more sun?

I'm not sure I understand the heading "Native iris". The only thing really entitled to that label is our Pattersonia. Dietes are native to South Africa.
As someone mentioned, they have a distinct bloom time, and I think that is mid summer from memory. In some soils they can pop up everywhere from seedlings, and the foliage, unless hacked well back each year, can get quite ugly.
Pattersonia is a far tidier plant, and puts on a gorgeous display of purple every year. It is a pity it isn't used more widely for street plantings, like the one I saw near Doncaster shopping town.
Dietes are awfully boring when not in bloom.

Yes, Sparaxis, I have been very confused about it. That's why I put the "native" in single quotes, though. Becuase everyone seems to refer to the whole range of them as 'native iris' I assumed for a while that they were. Maybe they call them that in South Africa and the name came over with them. It's also confusing about Muraya (sp?) and Dietes, as they seem to have either been merged or had species redistributed under the two headings. I think I have a pattersonia as well, though, which isn't flowering either. THe ones in front of my house on the street (white and purple, probably south african ones) almost never stop flowering throughout the year, it's pretty impressive. When they're not, thnough, I agree that the foliage is not particularly impressive.
As I said, I' really very ignorant about everything at the moment and am just trying to simultaneously do research and learn through trial and error in the garden. It's just that it's SUCH a little garden that the error quotient is always disproportionately disapointing...
Jacqui

Moraea - not the same species. I think some of the Dietes were originally listed as Moraea.
If you do a search for Dietes irioides, dietes grandiflora, and dietes bicolour, on google, that might help you identify some of yours.
I agree that you really have to get it right in a small garden. I think the dietes come into their own when mass planted and a small garden doesn't allow for that.

If you're still unhappy with your Dietes, have you considered Dianella Caerulea or one of the other Dianellas. Lovely dainty blue berries in spring, followed by bright blue berries. It might be happier in the conditions you describe.

Thanks Snodge -
They still aren't flowering much - although the Pattersonia has lots of promising buds, but I'll leave them there. I do really like dianella though - want to put a lot of "little jess" as a sort of semi ground cover where my dog weeing has killed the lawn.

Hi Jacqui - I have both the main types of Dietes, Iridioides and Bicolor. The Bicolor was very slow to start flowering, even though it was in a perfect position in terms of soil, sun etc - it took 2-3 years, but now flowers regularly and in quantity. The others (Iridioides) flowered from a very small size and have never stopped since.