Too late now to plant bearded iris Merseyside?

Johnny Crosby

I have just received a consignment of bearded iris rhizomes from Sutton’s, all in excellent condition. The weather has been wet but not too cold here on Merseyside and supposed to be similar up to Xmas, with an occasional frost. Would you plant now, in the hope of getting flowers twice next year, or store them in the garage until next April? Having never grown irises before, I would appreciate any advice. Thank you.

Fairygirl

You won't get two lots of flowers, although most bearded Iris will have several flowering stems.
Are they bare root, or potted? 
Fine to plant them now if your soil and conditions are suitable. A site which gets full sun in summer, and with good drainage. They're completely hardy, but make sure you keep the rhizome reasonably proud of the soil. That's what benefits them for future growth. 
If you're worried about planting, just pot them up - keeping them as above. A sheltered spot somewhere will be ideal- against a house wall or similar.  They may need a little support if they have any foliage left on them.