"Talking Irises" LOOKING FORWARD TO SPRING - Tall Bearded Irises With Spring Companion Plants

By Susanne Holland Spicker

I love experimenting with different color combinations in the beds. By combining a variety of companion plants, as well as complimentary, or harmonious combinations of tall bearded irises, the beds provide a nice palette of color, as well as a long bloom season by using early, mid and late bloomers that flower at the same time as other perennials in the gardens. The beds are always a work in progress--I evaluate my beds each year at this time and make changes where I want to replace older varieties with newer iris hybrids or add any favorites from my long "wish list." 


I love the colors in this yellow, pink and blue bed: Tall bearded irises 'Skywalker' (Schreiner '96), 'Tulip Festival' (Clough '75), 'Edith Wolford' (Hager '86), 'Aegean Wind' (Schreiner '08), and 'Out of the Blues' (Van Liere '10) with companion plants Singing in the Rain Itoh peony, assorted lupine, hybrid tea rose New Day, clematis Josephine, assorted pansies and petunias, and herbaceous peony Mons. Jules Ellie.

Striking colors of tall bearded irises and companion plants: 'Salzburg Echo' (Schreiner '09), 'Spiced Custard' (Weiler '87), 'Supreme Sultan' (Schreiner '88), 'Dazzling Gold' (Anderson '81),  'Taco Supreme' (Ernst '87),  'Throb' (Weiler '91),  'Flamenco' (Keppel '77), 'Mulled Wine' (Keppel '02),  and 'Tiger Honey' (Kasperek '94), with companion plants early gladiola, lupine, daylily Bela Lugosi and various daylilies and Harlem poppy.

Bold and beautiful!  Tall bearded irises 'Bold Expression' (Ernst '03), 'Dreamcake' (Ernst '02), 'Close Up' (Tompkins '02),  and 'Ringo' (Shoop '79) with companion plants rosy purple pulsatilla, Caribbean Crush verbascum, Fascination hybrid tea rose,  poppy Queen Alexander, America climbing rose, and lilac.

A favorite bed of subtle yellows and blues: Tall bearded irises 'Good Hope' (Moldovan '69), 'Absolute Treasure' (Tasco '06), 'Grecian Skies' (Brown '84), 'Edith Wolford' (Hager '86), 'Bertwistle' (Innerst '90), 'Lavender Luck' (Ernst '88), 'Wedding Candles' (Schreiner '82) and 'On Edge' (Schreiner '86), with companion plants assorted pansies, Blue Star columbine, yellow, blue and white lupine, Crystal Fountain clematis, dwarf Snow Lady daisy, Konigskind clematis, tradescantia, High Noon tree peony, Silver Beauty Dutch iris, and hybrid tea rose Sunblest.

This bed always stands out: Tall bearded irises 'Aristocracy' (Keppel '06), 'Artist's Time' (Schreiner '74), 'Ever After' (Keppel '86), and 'Bubbling Over' (Ghio '92),  with companion plants Elisabeth variegated phlox, pansies, single late tulip Don Quixote, heartleaf bergenia, Jacob's Ladder, bleeding heart, and assorted pansies.

I love these rose and apricot colors together: Tall bearded irises 'Discretion' (Boushay '78), 'Naples' (Johnson '01), 'Mystic's Muse' (Schreiner '93), 'Magharee' (Blyth '86), 'Aphrodisiac' (Schreiner '86), and 'Role Model' (Denny '88), with companion plants assorted lupine, and Itoh peony Singing In The Rain.

Do you like experimenting with your flower beds? What are some of your favorite combinations?  I'd love to hear from you!

"Talking Irises" TALL BEARDED IRISES & COMPLEMENTARY COLOR SCHEMES--Planning your iris bed

by Susanne Holland Spicker

"Gardening is such an incredible joy, and the more successful you are as a gardener, the more enjoyable your gardening becomes" Mike McGroarty

'WINNING EDGE'  Ghio   1997   36"   ML

Planning irises in complementary color schemes has been an enjoyable production in progress in my flower beds. The beds have transitioned from a few irises in the garden in 1995, to presently 15 to 45 favorite varieties in each of the 14 iris beds throughout the yard. I couldn't have imagined how smitten I would become with these tall beauties back then, each year exclaiming I didn't have room for one more. I now have over 300 named cultivars, and I definitely don't have room for more! To keep my beds organized, I make a collage of irises in the bed, with favorites I want to add. This method works best for me, and it may work for you.

The color palette for my pastel bed is one of my favorites:

(From upper, row 1, l-r) 'BUBBLY MOOD' Ghio '84, 'BUBBLING OVER' Ghio '82, 'GOODNIGHT MOON' Schreiner '95, 'RUFFLED BALLET' Roderick '75, 'ROLE REVERSAL' Ghio '10, 'RHINELANDER' Schreiner '06 (row 2) 'PRETTY GENEROUS' Innerst '04, 'WINNING EDGE' Ghio '97, 'SKATING PARTY' Gaulter '83, 'EMBRACE ME' Van Liere '08, 'ASCII ART' Moores '97, 'GLOWING SMILE' Hager '01, (row 3) 'SOCIETY PAGE' Ghio '00, 'BUBBLING WAVES' Ghio '06, 'GOING DUTCH' Van Liere '09, 'QUEEN'S CIRCLE' Kerr '00, 'LACED COTTON' Schreiner '80, 'ELECTRABRITE' Brown '83, (row 4) 'POND LILY' Jones '95, 'COMING UP ROSES' Gatty '92, 'ABOVE THE CLOUDS' Schreiner '01, 'GLOBAL CROSSING' Van Liere '12, 'ELISA RENEE' Gaulter '93, 'MARY FRANCES' Gaulter '73

When planning out an iris bed, these are things that have worked best for me to achieve maximum success:  

• What look do I want to accomplish?
• What color schemes do I want to have?
• What is the bloom time of the iris and companion plants?
• What companion plants will go best with my irises, giving a variety of texture, shape, and size?
• Which plants need to be moved or replaced?
• Mapping out the bed and recording it in a notebook and computer.



'GLOBAL CROSSING'  (Van Liere '12   36"   M)

This long wrap-around porch pastel bed now has 45 different tall bearded irises.

'EVENING TIDINGS', 'GLOBAL CROSSING', 'BUBBLING WAVES', 'LACY DAY', 'INTO THE NIGHT', 'EMBRACE ME'

'DESIGNER LABEL' (Ghio '03  38"  M-L)

'SWEET SERENADE', 'RUFFLED BALLET', 'SOCIETY PAGE', 'CROWNED HEADS', 'HEATHERIDGE', 'ELECTRABRITE'

'BUBBLING OVER' (Ghio   '82   36"  M)

'LACY DAY', 'BUBBLING WAVES', 'GLOBAL CROSSING'

'BUBBLING WAVES' (Ghio 36"  VE-E)

'OVERJOYED' (Gatty by Keppel '94   35"  M)

Irises come in a vast array of colors, multiply annually, and are easy to divide or move; so if the outcome isn't what you had in mind, changes can easily be made. I am always refining my beds. This is where a map of your irises is so beneficial.

Whether you're a beginning iris gardener, or a seasoned iris lover with many years of growing under your belt, seeing success in your garden is always exciting and very rewarding—I eagerly look forward to spring!

What kind of iris gardener are you?  Do you plan your beds out?  I'd love to hear what you have to say!