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Iris reticulata not flowering
i planted up lots of iris reticulatta bulbs last autumn but one flowered two weeks ago. Since then it has withered away and no more have appeared. There are loads of long thin leaves but no flowers.
is there still hope for this year? surely they should be all out by now?
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The birds seem to love the purple petals of many flowers, especially reticulata and polyanthus! Maybe they think it will make them more brightly coloured when they are in the breeding season - especially the blue, great and coal tits who seem to especially like the purple flowers!!
Mine aren't out yet as they don't get much sun where they are until a bit later on
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
Dove, we get little sun here so I was really hoping that's the reason. I don't see any slug activity yet.
The one reticulatta that flowered was just beautiful. As Monty said last year, they're like jewels.
Just a a lovely flower, I'm quite disappointed they haven't flowered... Here's hoping doves on to something.
Mine are at their peak right now - purple and the blue Kathryn Hodgkin - been in flower for about a fortnight. I crammed them into terracotta pots and left them in a sunny position all winter. Only one of the yellow ones showed it face this week.
I have Iris reticulata in the garden and while they are in full flower in one part of the garden in another they're yet to produce flowers. Slugs and snails are a particular problem, particularly in the wet weather we've been having lately.
Some of my irises, including Dutch irises have snail damage and I caught one tiny snail halfway up a stem a couple of days ago. It's easy to spot the damage they cause; they particularly like feeding on the fresh tips of iris leaves, although damage can also be found lower down.
My solution to minimise the damage is slug pellets.
Ah, I see buds! Unless I'm looking at dwarf narcissi coming up from below the iris. I planted layers for full spring colour.
im hoping I'll get some iris flowers yet. No signs of slugs yet but I'm sure they're not far away.
Hurrah! The first little clump of my I. reticulata 'Cantab' are flowering
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
Glad to hear that you see a flower comming, I planted mine in november-ish time last year, so this is there first time growing, like you i have multi layered my bulbs so should hopefully get plenty of flowers through out the year. At the moment i just ahve a couple of snow drops flowering but i have shoots from Iris, Crocus, and daffodils so hopefully with a bit of nice weather they will also be flowering soon
I think i went for the iris reticulatta as well but can't remember (guess i will have to wait to find out) 
For slugs i have copper tape around all pots and also have beer traps for them too, if there going to go i make them die happy lol!