The bearded irises are one of my rescued plants. They came in a bit scruffy, like a dog or cat that needs a new owner. It
was touch and go at first. They love the sun and I don’t get a lot of
that. I had dozens to start with – having grubbed up a whole bed that a
neighbour was going to turn into hard standing for their car.
Many
didn’t make the move from sun to shade, but the few that have are now
thriving, a coupe of years on. They look well with the bluebells, and
soon they’ll be topped off by the purple lilac that is hovering over
their heads and about to bloom.
They have a unique
flower - three petals called standards that reach up and three more –
falls – that hand down. They get the beard part of their name from the
fuzzy hairs on the falls.
They
have sword-like leaves, and grow from rhizomes that sit on the surface
o the soil – hence their liking for sun. Bake them as much as you like,
they seem to thrive in the driest summer.
Their latin tag is Iris germanica. Here’s a learned treatise on them, and a very thorough Wiki
The bearded irises are one of my rescued plants. They came in a bit scruffy, like a dog or cat that needs a new owner. 