Confessions of an iris fancier Print E-mail
Written by Alec Evans, 2004   
Page 1 of 2

Irises, being such exotic and beautiful flowers, must be very delicate and difficult to cultivate, or so I had always thought. This idea, based on no experience of growing them, abruptly changed four years ago when my wife Linda and I bought a house in the foothills of the Pyrenees, which had previously been the home of an avid iris collector. 

During viewing and negotiations in February and March we had cast an eye - with no special interest - at the multitude of spiky-looking fans of leaves in the large beds on one side of the house. It was at the beginning of May, the keys at last handed over, that the splendour and scent of several hundred bearded irises in full flower greeted their proud new owners with, well, iridescence.

The iris is named after the Roman (and Greek) goddess of the rainbow: arco iris means rainbow in Spanish and Portuguese. Bearded irises (iris germanica), so-called because of the bushy beards on their falls (lower petals), are classified into six sizes, from 'miniature dwarf' (5-20cm) through to 'tall' like most of ours.

These grow to a metre or so in height from their fleshy tuber-like rhizomes, with three or four flower heads on each stem. Their flowers range from pure white to very near black, with almost everything (except bright red) in between. There are plain colours, two-tone 'bi-colour' and a whole range of patterns and shadings, from elegant to frankly rather garish.

Image
Copper iris.
Some of the more outlandish varieties are perhaps kindliest described as a matter of taste, although there is no denying their impact. 'Provençale' for instance, though undoubtedly spectacular, seems to me to have a sinister air and would fit well in the scenery for the second act of Parsifal.

I apologise here to Michael Loftus of specialist growers Woottens, who has been so helpful to us in identifying many of our varieties, as 'Provençale' is one of his favourites!)

Our worries that these exotic-looking plants would require special care were soon dispelled. Internet research revealed that irises are highly drought-resistant (although watering every few weeks in a really dry summer will stop them becoming distressed, which could affect flowering the next year) and only minimal fertilising and other regular care is needed. Weed control, particularly in established beds, can be a chore in the autumn and spring periods. However, as soon as the buds begin to form on 'Delta Blues' and my personal favourite, a yellow and white iris of as yet unknown name, all the groans about weeding and mutterings of "Why don't we dig this lot up and plant roses?" from a section of the gardening team are quickly forgotten.

In our climate the flowering season usually lasts from early April to late May (perhaps a few weeks earlier than in the UK) concluding with the spectacular deep red and gold of the variegata 'Fiesta Time'.

What we did not inherit were the names of our irises. It is fascinating - and sometimes quite frustrating - to search through catalogues and the Internet to do the detective work involved.

Irises multiply quickly, making thinning-out necessary every few years. In the first year after thinning, flowering will inevitably be reduced while the clumps become re-established. We decided to 'attack' just a portion of our long-neglected beds each autumn to minimise this effect. After replanting there is always a surplus of 'fans' and quite a few friends have inadvertently become iris fanciers as a result.

Iris rhizomes are almost incredibly hardy. We have a near-100 per cent success record for replanted irises after thinning: apart from over-enthusiastic hoeing (a danger because new fans are almost invisible viewed edge-on) the only casualties have been those that have flowered so abundantly that the weight was too much for their immature roots.

Expert advice is that the 'old' ends of the thinned rhizomes should be cut off and discarded or burnt, as "they will never flower again."

We followed this advice but in the spring after our first thinning operations we were delighted to find scores of new iris fans appearing on the compost heap where they'd been thrown. Many of them actually flowered.

A former owner must have planted surplus thinnings in the grass beside the driveways and even under the trees of the wooded parc around our house. Although these produced abundant leaf fans, very few of them flowered until I tried spreading a small amount of fertiliser. The result was a big improvement in flowering and the discovery of several unusual varieties that no longer featured in the main beds. One of these was the rather weird 'Provençale', apparently banished to an area by the gate by a former owner of the house who seems to have shared our tastes.

Planting irises

Provided that you choose a sunny spot in well-drained soil, irises are very easy to grow, even in a relatively cold climate. Their abundance of colour in mid to late spring (and if you are very lucky in autumn for some re-bloomers) amply repays the modest care they need. They are capable of surviving - although not thriving - in drought conditions that would kill many other garden plants. Planting near to trees, even on the south side, is best avoided: clearing fallen leaves from between the clumps is a difficult job unless a leaf-blower is available: if left they will encourage rotting.

Irises grow in clumps, with fan-shaped leaves sprouting from a thick, fleshy rhizome (pronounced rye-zome) just below the surface of the soil. In the UK the best planting time is in September and October, a couple of months after the flowering season but early enough to allow the important holding roots to establish themselves before winter. Nurseries normally deliver in this period although orders may be required earlier.

Iris rhizomes, which if ordered from a nursery will usually arrive with leaves and roots trimmed, are fairly robust and will survive out of the ground for a while if necessary. However, it's a good idea to prepare the bed a few weeks in advance. It should be well-dug to a depth of 30cm or so before raking in a modest amount of fertiliser.

Bone-meal and low-nitrogen general fertilisers are good (look for a low 'N' in the N-P-K rating on the packet - too much nitrogen may encourage rotting). On clay soil improve the drainage by adding coarse sand and humus: avoid manure unless it is very well rotted. Ensure that perennial weeds are removed as far as possible.

Plant iris at least 30cm apart (nearer will give a quicker 'show' but also means that they need to be thinned sooner) with the cut ends of the rhizomes pointing in the same direction, to avoid the clumps becoming crowded. The roots should be well buried, with the top surface of the rhizome at soil level. Firm the soil well. In dry conditions light watering will help the roots become established, but avoid waterlogging.

Spring or late-summer flowering bulbs (crocus, daffodil etc.) or anemone can be planted between the clumps, but plants that flower at the same time as the iris will be seriously upstaged!


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