Iris

Iris Plants

May is the time of year when everything is growing strong not least the early perennials and among some of the best are the most elegant of them all bearded irises parading their standards (petals facing upwards) and falls (petals facing downwards) in so many different colours just like they were in a summer fashion show, all bearing a well trimmed beard they certainly mark the way for the summer.

There is a huge range of bearded irises to discover whether the older traditional varieties such as "White City" (1940) takes your fancy or the ultra modern look space agers like "Mesmerizer" sound intriguing to you, there is an iris for almost everyone out there. Amongst the earliest bearded iris to flower are the dwarf standard bearded iris varieties such as "Cherry Garden" poking their heads 4-5 inches above the soil level as though taking shelter from the late spring winds, perfect little gems for the front of the border. Then there's the tall bearded varieties show-boating their large magnificant heads on stems around 3 feet in late May to early June.

Growing bearded iris is relatively straight forward given a well drained sunny border they will flower year upon year. If you're not so lucky to have well drained soil don't worry all is not lost it just means that you will need to do a bit of work to improve it. This is an easy process with just a bit of digging and the addition of as much grit sand and horticultural grit as possible and most iris will grow fine.

To improve the amount of flower stems, feed iris twice a year, once in early spring with a feed that is high in potash and once after flowering, this one with a feed low in nitrogen as high nitrogen feeds may cause the iris to rot. Splitting iris will also help reinvigorate old clumps, which should be done after flowering; July is usually a good month to do this. Lift the clump and with a sharp knife cut out the old rhizomes which are the ones with little or no growth in the centre and keep the new growth round the edge of the clump, then replant the new plants so that the top of the rhizome is above the surface of the soil, then trim back the leaves to about six inches in a triangle shape, this should be done every three to four years. By following these growing tips your iris will be well on the way to first prize in your gardens summer fashion show.

At Dean's we have a good selection of bearded and non bearded irises to tempt you, ranging from dwarf standard bearded, intermediate bearded, tall bearded and sibiricas and if by any chance you can't find the one you're looking for please ask one of our friendly plant staff.