Garden irises offer splendid flowers, in diverse and varied colors. Easy to grow, they beautify flowerbeds, borders and rockeries from mid-spring.
Irises, rainbow color!
Among all the flowers, garden irises offer a wide range of colors. Called bearded irises by specialists, because of their “beards”, filaments inside the petals, they are best known as the flowers of the rainbow. In Greek mythology, Iris was the messenger of the gods. She was often represented as a young girl with shiny, rainbow-colored wings. Almost all colors exist in garden irises, all shades and associations, from pure white to almost black purple. Yellow, orange, copper, brown, red, purple rust, mauve, pink, violet and blue, often mixed together, offer endless possibilities for colorful combinations. The palette offers both pastel and bright colors, sometimes combined with two-tone irises. Especially since every year, new varieties are available for sale. Something to satisfy all tastes, since irises, of very different sizes, can be used in many places in the garden. There are dwarf irises, less than 40 cm in height, and large irises (always more than 70 cm in height), going through many intermediate sizes. The smallest – some barely exceed 20 cm! – are perfect in rock gardens, on low walls or on borders. Everyone else will do wonderful either along the paths or in clumps, with the highest ones in the background. A few clumps of irises in the vegetable garden will also look great and make magnificent bouquets.
As for the “iris groves”, these very large clumps of irises, they are breathtaking! Depending on sizes and varieties, irises bloom between early April and mid-June. By mixing them, you can get flowers for a good two months! Furthermore, there are repeat irises which flower again in autumn. Large irises are in full bloom from mid-May. Now is the time to go admire them in parks, plant festivals or at specialized nurseries who open their doors for the occasion. You will be able to observe the new varieties up close, see the colors in natural light, compare the various productions to make your choice later.
These flowers are as beautiful as they are easy to grow ! The best planting time is between the months of July and October. It is better to buy the iris rhizomes at this time in order to replant them immediately. Establishing them during this season allows them to take root well before winter. They will flower even better the following spring.
Take care
It is essential to choose a location that is well exposed to the sun most of the day (especially if you live in the north of France). Irises prefer fairly light, very well drained, neutral or calcareous soil. Prepare the planting soil two months before by digging it, removing all the “weeds” and incorporating well-decomposed compost. Another essential point, the rhizome must not be buried. It should be flush with the ground. Above all, do not dig a basin around it; on the contrary, it is better to place the rhizome on a slight mound. This arrangement will prevent water from accumulating around the plant. Stagnant moisture can lead to rhizome rot. Water when planting, then two or three times until recovery. Then, your irises will not need additional water, except in cases of severe drought. If you plant several iris plants, take care to space them sufficiently, because they grow vigorously. Large irises should be planted 50 cm from each other, 40 cm will be enough for medium irises, as for dwarfs, they can be spaced 25 cm to 30 cm each. Avoid planting next to other species that could shade your irises. If you want to constitute a mass of iris sizes and different colors, plan to place the smaller ones in the foreground. Also take care to match the colors. If you mix colors, it is still better to plant each variety in groups of 5 to 6 feet. Harmonize the shades, forming color gradients and alternating neutral or pastel tones and brighter colors.
Whether you only have a few iris plants or a whole clump, you will have the pleasure of having before your eyes a delightful spectacle, in the colors of the rainbow!
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