Iris (I’ris) is a large genus of mostly hardy flowering plants most with perennial rootstocks or bulbs.
Irises grow wild in temperate countries in the Northern Hemisphere. Most Irises bloom in May and June.
The structure of Iris flowers differs from most plants. The three outer perianth segments (petals) known as falls hang down; the other three stand erect and are known as standards.
The iris family includes several fascinating members well worth growing in the greenhouse. Whenever there is room. We like to have some Wedgwood, White Excelsior, and Golden Harvest for cutting. These should be planted now (November) for flowering from midwinter on. The blooms give a delicate touch of color to mixed bouquets and are especially … Read more
After growing in the ground for 3 – 5 years flowering Iris plants need dividing. This will keep plants healthy and blooming. Below we share 8 steps on diving and replanting Iris clumps. 1. Select the clump you wish to divide and replant and cut the foliage down to a height of 6” to 8” … Read more
History – even horticultural history—repeats itself. Proof of this is found in return popularity of the geranium, African-violet, day-lily, and small and decorative gladiolus, which, having fallen out of grace with gardeners, achieved new favor when breeders offered improved iris varieties. The same is true of the spuria or butterfly group of iris, one of … Read more
None of the essential perennial flowers I know require more care in selection than the modern iris. There are many thousand named sorts and several hundred new varieties on the market yearly – some perfect, some good, and some bad. Catalogs, lists of 100 best, society ratings, and other methods do not give the amateur … Read more
Are you one of the gardeners who has heard about hybridizing or breeding iris yet feels that the process requires more know-how or skill than you possess? If so, read on. This is for you. Of course, there is a very complicated and highly skilled side to producing new iris varieties, but that is the … Read more
Dwarf irises have an indispensable place in our gardens. Their low height, early bloom, hardiness, and modest cultural needs make them favored members of the iris family in which they fill the gap for plants of dwarf stature. We have long associated dwarf iris with rock gardens, neglecting such ideal situations as perennial borders, terraced … Read more
Hybridizers and commercial horticulturists are constantly offering us new strains and improved varieties of old favorites in the hardy plant field, but not so often do we see a worthy native species routed out and given it’s full due by gardeners. We have such a plant in Iris dichotoma, often called the vesper iris because … Read more
I am convinced that a hobby helps to complete our enjoyment of life, and to me, there is no more safe, sane hobby than a garden, for the love of gardening is a seed that, once sown, grows to an increasing and enduring source of happiness. Flowers are precious things to be cherished in our … Read more
Almost everyone grows a tall bearded iris. Those who class it as one of their favorite flowers have often lamented that its season is too short. Would you believe me if I told you that I had had some form of the iris in bloom in my Denver garden for ten months of the year? … Read more
One would not dream of a well-planned late spring garden without at least a few varieties of iris standing among the aquilegia and peonies. But what was the picture a few weeks earlier? Perhaps a small group of daffodils looked out over the expanse of foliage from later blooming plants, or maybe a smattering of … Read more