Iris

Iris cristata (crested iris) - This diminutive native blooms earlier, & in more shade, than any other.

Tall bearded irises:

1) 'Amain' - This spring is the first time 'Amain' has bloomed for me (I planted a small start of it 2 1/2 years ago). I was surprised at the huge size & luscious scent of the flowers. It is a "reblooming iris" so it is supposed to give an encore performance in fall. We'll see....

2) 'Copper Lustre' - Suzanne shared these with me, & for a while we didn't know the name. Last year I stumbled onto it while looking at a website dedicated to historic irises. This heirloom dates back to 1934.

Iris sibirica (Siberian iris):

1) 'Ceasar's brother' - When I see this ubiquitous variety for sale, I want to put a sign up for potential purchasers: ask 3 people you know, & at least one of them will surely have it in their yard & will gladly share with you. Still, they're beautiful.
2) 'Butter and sugar' - another "oldie but goodie"
3) unknown light blue - I've yet to ID this Siberian iris, & the photo is blurry, so maybe I'll revisit this one in the future....
Iris pallida 'variegata' (sweet iris) - Another one with a yummy scent, it has a creamy golden variegation to the leaves that looks good all season.

Water irises - These hydrophylic plants are naturally found at water's edge or even standing in shallow water. They can be grown in "normal" garden soil as well, but will suffer during dry spells. I grow them in my rain garden.

1) 'Gerald Darby' - My favorite part of the Darby iris is the spring foliage where rich purple is mixed in with the green. I've not seen anything else like it. As the season progresses, the leaves turn mostly green, but the stems of each flower are a deep purple.
2) Iris pseudacorus (yellow flag iris) - Native to Europe & introduced to North America in the early 1900s, this iris is invasive. It grows in vast thickets, crowding out all surrounding (usually native) vegetation. It spreads by seeds & rhizomes being carried downstream. It is contained in my rain garden, as we aren't linked to any waterways, & still I try to remove the spent flowers before they go to seed.

3) Iris fulva (copper iris) - Unlike the thug above, this uniquely colored iris is a well-behaved native. It is aptly named, not as bright as coral, not as deep as rust....
4) Iris ensata 'variegata' (variegated Japanese water iris) - The last iris to bloom for me (blooming now in late June) but a show-off all through the season because of its fresh green & white variegated foliage.

Helleborus

The hellebores in my garden are evergreen to semi-evergreen perennials that bloom in very early spring & hold their flowers into summer. This is different than to say they continue blooming -- the flowers, once all opened, just remain on the plant for an unusually long time, & continue to look attractive.They started blooming as early as March, were in full bloom in April, & the flowers are still on the plants now in June.

There are numerous species & varieties of these elegant plants. Below are the small few that I am currently growing.

Helleborus orientalis is called Lenten rose hellebore, because it is in bloom during Lent. I have several of these. Some bloom a rosey purple, others ivory with maroon flecks. Some are not big enough to bloom yet. It takes a few years from seed for them to reach blooming size. Helleborus X nigercors is a cross (that's what the X stands for) between two hellebore species. It has outward-facing flowers on tall stems, so it gets noticed! Helleborus foetidus is called bear's foot hellebore because of the shape of it's finely cut leaves. This hellebore is considered by many to have the most beautiful foliage. The individual flowers aren't as showy as on the other hellebores, but in their large clusters they are impressive, & they are the earliest hellebores to bloom in my garden. I need to get a better picture of just the leaves....