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If they are irises and they are in the eastern exposure...they might do better in a sunnier spot. Morning sun is OK for some plants, but rhizomes (common beard and beardless bulb iris) most assuredly love the warm afternoon sun in the early spring.

Here's some info on Irises...

Irises grow from bulbs or, more commonly, from rhizomes (bearded and beardless irises). Bearded because of the "hairs" on the downturned petals - Beardless because they have no "hairs". We don't know what you have...so we have to wait for a bloom to be able to discern if it is a bulb or a rhizome.

They look prettiest in masses, and in cooler climates they should be divided once every 3 years or so...more often in warmer climates. Don't group different types together. In cooler climates, if the frost heaves the masses of rhizomes, DON'T push them back down. Pile a small mound of well draining soil or course sand around them. Be careful not to bury them. A low nitrogen fertilizer is good for them in early spring and late summer. To guarantee they will bloom again next year...make sure that the top part of them stays exposed to the sun. In late summer, cut the leaves back to about half their size in a fan shape. Don't knick the rhizome (elongated, bulb like, root) with a hoe or rack when weeding, but keep the garden as weed free as possible.

For division...

Divide ASAP after blooming...sometime between July and September. This gives the plant time to take root before winter. If you re-plant too late, you'll get fewer blooms. Iris rhizomes do not need to be taken up and stored over the winter. However, some rhizomes, like Canna (a more tropical rhizome) or bulbous Dutch and Spanish iris, do. To prevent the rotting that can happen to some rhizomes such as canna (the reason it has to be uprooted and stored), plant the rhizome on a mound of soil ammended with course sand to assure drainage. Dig a hole about 6" down...fluff the soil in the hole and ammend with course sand. Dig up existing clumps of irises and check for soft, foul smelling, rotting rhizomes. Discard those, as they are a sign of borer damage. Make clean cuts with a very sharp knife dipped in alcohol between cuts (to prevent the spread of disease). Keep only the healthier, outer parts of the clump...with new growth. Let the cut rhizomes dry in the sun for a few hours. Replant them 12 to 15 inches apart in the ammended holes.

Gilly...if you want/need to know now what you have (bulb or rhizome), you'll have to dig something up...unless you can already tell from my discription above. Otherwise, to assure their growth this season...make the ammendments to them now and wait for the growth and bloom. Before you dig them up and store them...let's find out what you have first...OK?

P.S. There are many different types of irises and each has a particular characteristic. Some are agressive in the soil and bind with it and heave the earth. Some can rot if not planted in well drained soil. Some are water plants (bog bloomers). Some are bulbs and some are tubers (rhizomes). To mistake a rhizome for a bulb is a common mistake. The treatment of each of these is different, as they are for all bulbous and tuber plants.