Question
I have beautiful iris in my front garden.  now that they are done blooming they look a bit unsightly.  can i cut them back now?

Answer
Hi Kate,
Thanx for your question.  Cut off the flowering stems but don't cut the sword-shaped leaves until August or September and when you do that only cut the leaves back to about 4-6 inches above the rhizome.  The reason?  The leaves take in the energy from the sun and through photosynthesis create sugars that are stored in the rhizomes for next year's bloom and growth.  I hope this helps.
Tom