I leave the foliage to get a bit brown and tatty then whip it all off - the only foliage which looks well over the summer is the Dalmatian iris pallida variegata which maintains its cool freshness throughout the season. Brown and dying foliage has done its job for this year and just annoys me looking sordid. The iris don't seem to mind at all....although I pull the old leaves rather than cutting them back....when dead, they come out cleanly and easily

Beautiful pics! Was about to ask if that iris was Light Shine. I also have it blooming in my garden. Unfortunately, I can't remember how I posted pics from my old computer and haven't figured out how to do it from this one. Lots of iris blooming in my yard right now. Some pics in Photobucket via the link in the post "New irises...and looking for ID help". Very colorful! :)

Yikes, it's been a long time since I've been here. It's kind of obvious that you've been away for a while when people start talking about you in third person! :) push mow your old 2 acres, push mow the 1.5 acres where you live now (getting the house ready for your step-Dad's return from Afghanistan)...weed your iris garden, weed your vegetable garden, weed your club's gardens...dig in your old garden, dig in your new garden, work at a dig for the SWMIS club, dig with the ICSEM club, dig donated irises from a friend's garden for the ICSEM sales...plant your new orders, plant your club's orders, replant your old plants, plant at your club's garden...work at the ICSEM's sales (leaving the house at 4am)...water your gardens with gallon jugs then make your life easier by watering with a generator on your new well with 300' of hose, fill out your judges' activity report (and remember you still need 5 hours and 3 one-on-one trainings to become an accredited judge), vote the symposium, write an article on request, become the editor for your region's newsletter.......... busy. Thank-you everyone for your comments. It always makes me glad to hear that the photos are being enjoyed. Renee, your prediction made me lol. :) I'm so hopelessly taken with irises that I don't know that I'll ever have enough money to divert from my iris addi(c)tions! Shadow, thank-you for the link to Stone Cottage Gardens. I had never heard of them and now I plan to learn more.

I've heard tell you can dig anytime as well. I've even had a clump given to me with a bloom stalk still blooming on it and it lived to bloom again. However, I do believe that most experienced irisarians will say to wait the 6 weeks as this is when the rhizomes are collecting and storing up nutrients for next years bloom and developing the new increases. It's a good idea to fertilize right after bloom for next years growth. Iris are tough and will survive, but my reccomendation is to wait. Just get them back in the ground so they have enough time to get established before your first hard freeze. Jan