Tall bearded irises, dwarf and cristata, Siberian irises, Japanese irises, Louisiana irises, and bulbous are the main types of iris you can grow in your garden, and all of them can be planted from July until September.
In The June issue of FLOWER GROWER they were featured in the “Home Garden Guide to the Iris.” Readers are now ready to become better acquainted with them by actually growing roses in their gardens.
How To Work On Each Type of Iris
Catalogs at hand, the question in our minds is how to work some of each type of iris into our gardens.
Ideas on where to plant them for maximum color effects were given in the June issue, and the cultural limits of each type were defined.
But, one point needs more emphasis: irises, unlike much herbaceous material, are landscape-design or architectural plants.
What do we mean by this? Just as trees and shrubs are used to indicate the design of a property, create a mood, and set a theme, so may iris be used.
We consider them more than mere color accents in a perennial border. To be sure, they do not give a year-round effect, but they can serve a landscape function throughout the summer and do it well.
The French know this. For years they have used iris to define the geometric pattern of their vegetable gardens. The result: an otherwise unexciting area becomes a summer-long green parterre.
Excellent Foliage Value of Iris
We, too, can use the iris’ excellent foliage value, thus getting used to them even when they are not in bloom. However, if you are skeptical about the value of iris foliage, consider that piece of ground between a path or driveway and a property-line fence.
Planted with grass, it becomes a ghastly strip to mow each week, while ordinary ground covers would succumb to summer heat.
But the picture is different when such an area is planted with an iris. Beautiful in bloom. The trim and maintenance-free foliage of the iris looks good for the remainder of the summer.
Define Path Or Soften Foundation
Similarly, you might use an iris to define a path or soften the foundation line of a garage or garden shelter. Then, have you thought of a border of the bearded iris to run along a major contour line of a lawn? It is a fabulous sight in bloom.
Afterward, the iris foliage is both strong and graceful. It might lead the eye along the contour to a specimen tree, a birdbath, a garden bench, or, perhaps, to a natural outcrop of stone that you do not want your visitors to overlook.
A line of iris foliage near ground level will not shut out a good view, so an iris may be planted to call attention to the view of the planting bed design and acts as a sort of pointer.
Landscape Considerations
Here, then, are a few landscape considerations in the use of many types of iris, and you don’t need an unlimited budget to carry them out.
From your catalogs, choose a few varieties that you like with, perhaps, your perennial border in mind. Then, when dividing irises in three years or so, move the divisions into landscape locations.
This long-term planning makes it possible for you to have a wealth of plant material that performs correctly without denting the garden budget in any single year—even large estate gardens are developed over some time.
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