deningGar

Bearded Irises – the ultimate showstoppers

Every May and June I am bewitched by the sheer flamboyance and beauty of the bearded irises in the borders of gardens I visit. The large, showy blooms come in many colours and it’s a shame that we don’t have ‘smelly-vision’ as most are sweetly scented.

They are called ‘bearded’ because of the line of ‘hairs’ on the lower petals (the ‘falls’). These beards are often in a contrasting colour to the petal and act like runway lights to guide bees to the nectar and pollen.

Iris is a large, varied family and it is one where you need to know exactly which type you are planting: some grow in water and some in deserts. Bearded irises are no exception and it is important to give them the right conditions if you want them to thrive and flower.

They grow from a knobbly rhizome – a sort of modified root. These need to be planted so that they are not completely buried – maybe halfway up their thickness. They like a sunny spot: this year’s sun makes next year’s flowers. When planted in the shade or with their rhizomes buried, they struggle to flower.

The ground must be free draining as they will rot in claggy, soggy soils: add grit below the rhizomes if your soil is moist and forget about growing them if it’s boggy – there are plenty of other types of iris you can grow.

You can plant pot-grown bearded iris at any time but often nurseries supply them bare rooted as they are difficult to keep nice in a pot. There are many hundreds of varieties in a range of heights and colours to choose from.

The flowering season starts in late April with the very dwarf varieties. These are less than 16in or 40cm tall and best suited for a rockery. Next come the Intermediates (16in – 28” / 40-70cm) that flower from early May. Then later in May the tall, bearded types (28-48” / 70120cm) and these have the showiest flowers.

After flowering you can cut the flower stems off as close to the rhizome as possible using a sharp, sterile knife since leaving them on can cause rotting of the plants.

Bearded irises are tough, drought tolerant plants very well suited to modern as well as traditional gardens looking equally as good as drifts or as single, statement plants and with so many heights and colours to choose from there’s no reason why every sunny garden shouldn’t have some.

Janet and I run Plant Hunters’ Fairs, specialist plant fairs at wonderful locations offering special reduced entry rates on the plant fair dates.

Plant Fair dates for your 2021 diary:

Weston Park: (TF11 8LE) on Sunday, May 2 and Monday, May 3, Garden and Fair entrance £3.50 (usually £8).

Adlington Hall, Macclesfield: (SK10 4LF) on Sunday, May 9, Garden and Fair entrance £4.

The Dorothy Clive Garden (TF9 4EU) on Friday, May 21 and Saturday, May 22, Garden and Fair entrance £4 (usually £9).

Entry to all these fairs is by advance ticket only. Please see www.planthuntersfairs.co.uk for links to purchase tickets online. Martin Blow