The modern bearded iris produces a bigger show of beauty in the St. Louis area for less effort and money than any other flower I know.
While we would all like our gardens to be lavish with bloom from early spring to late fall, this dream is becoming more difficult each year in this area.
However, our spring gardens can be lovely if we use spring-flowering bulbs of all kinds and a generous assortment of early perennials, including quantities of the iris.
The Ever-Resilient Iris Plant
While many species of plants I have experimented with have proven a complete failure in the last few years of scorching summers and deficient rainfall, the iris proved toughy and thrived despite the heat.
Drought resistant, requiring water only after prolonged dry spells, is also very hardy, surviving our coldest winters.
Even after the late freeze experienced in March of 1955, when many plants were killed or deprived of their bloom, iris came through with little damage and flowered almost normally.
Ideal Growing Conditions
The iris will do well in most soil types, including the clay soil, which is so abundant in this area, although a good garden loam is preferable.
A handful of fertilizer, consisting of 2/3 bone meal and 1/3 superphosphate, sprinkled around each clump soon after the blooming season or at planting time and gently worked into the soil will help produce healthy plants and maximum bloom.
Good drainage and some sun (the more, the better) are necessary to sustain healthy growth and bountiful flowering.
Most of the bearded iris are prodigious growers and should be dug and divided every 3 or 4 years when the clumps become matted with rhizomes.
If left in a matted condition, the flowers become small, and the plants lose much of their vigor and attractiveness.
Related: 8 Steps in Planting Iris
Proper Planting Practice
Bearded iris should be planted or divided immediately after the blooming season.
Late planting ordinarily does not give the plant time to become established before winter and results in few flowers the following spring.
Iris may be planted almost anywhere in the garden with excellent effect.
However, do not plant too close to the edge of a lawn or under shrubs or trees that may rob them of nourishment or sun.
A good rule is to allow at least one square foot of garden space for each rhizome.
Various Uses Of Iris
Excellent Accent Plants
As accent plants, iris are exceptional in the landscape. A clump, each pale blue, clear pink, and light yellow, beside a garden gate or at the edge of a pool is a breathtaking sight.
Plant clumps of 3 of a kind among other perennials as striking color accents on your border.
Choose early, mid-season, and late varieties to continue blooming from early May to early June.
Border And Companion Plants
Their color makes them ideal companion plants in the perennial border, but their height of bloom—from 8” inches on the dwarfs to 55” inches on the tall-bearded kinds —makes it possible for them to be used in the front, middle, and background.
Planted in a border of their own, these aristocrats are at their best viewed against a background of some kind, be it a privacy fence around a patio, a shrub border or the foundation of your house or garage.
Flower Arrangements
In flower arrangements iris are excellent not only for their handsome flowers but for their foliage, which may be employed as line, fill or background material.
Iris Varieties
Variety selection for flower arranging or landscape effect depends on your personal preference.
However, certain varieties perform better in some areas of the country than others.
A few varieties that originated in Southern California, for instance, do not fully winter hardy in the St. Louis area.
The iris that was damaged or failed to bloom after the late freeze mentioned earlier were mostly of such origin.
So, those interested in planting modern iris would do well to visit plantings in bloom in their locality to determine which varieties are best suited to their particular needs.
There are quite a few specialists in this area who would be happy to have visitors see their gardens.
Here are a few iris I would recommend for this area:
- New Snow
- Katherine Fay
- Snow Flurry (white)
- The Admiral
- Danube Wave (dark blue)
- Blue Rhythm
- Great Lakes (medium blue)
- Cahokia
- Helen McGregor (light blue)
- Blue Shimmer (blue plicata)
- Bellerive (cream)
- Golden Fleece (lemon yellow)
- Zantha (bright yellow)
- Ola Kala
- Cloth of Gold (deep orange-yellow)
- Pink Cameo
- Hit Parade
- Courtier (pink)
- Chantilly (lacy orchid pink)
- Melodist
- Brown Trasher
- Russet Wings (brown)
- Orelio
- Ranger
- Solid Mahogany
- Vice Regal,
- Dreamland (red shades)
- Sable
- Vatican Purple (deep purple)
44659 by Marvin G. Olson