"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!

"Talking Irises" TALL BEARDED IRIS AND COMPANION PLANTS

By Susanne Holland Spicker

One of the most enjoyable aspects of growing TALL BEARDED IRISES is the countless ways we can use them in our gardens. Using a variety of COMPANION PLANTS for texture, shape, height and color can enhance the beauty of a garden. And, since the color range of irises rival nearly all plants--available in every imaginable hue, tone and color of the rainbow except maybe a true red--the possibilities are endless!

By using the early, mid and late blooms of the irises, there are several plants that fit into their window of bloom. For instance, the last of the single late tulips, or the first blooms of the hybrid tea roses overlap the early and late iris blooms. The colors, height and form of lupine add interest to the bed and are a favorite of mine to use because their bloom time perfectly coincides with the iris bloom time. Peonies, both tree and herbaceous, as well as poppies, are also favorites. Other perennials I have used successfully in the iris beds have been allium, clematis, columbine, dutch iris, foxglove, delphinium, lilacs, and even early gladiola, whose corms have over-wintered and start their growth early before I start planting new ones that will flower much later in the season.  The good things about all of these perennials is that their growing conditions are compatible with the conditions needed for tall bearded irises.

The regal colors of "CHERRY BLOSSOM SONG," "TIMELESS MOMENT," "MULLED WINE," "CHANGE OF PACE," "KITTY KAY," and "ARTIST'S TIME,"  with companion plants of lupine, peony and poppy provide an eye-catching bed

This pink bed uses the subtle and delicate tones of pinks and whites. Clematis, poppies, peonies, gladiola, foxglove, and a variety of lupine in shades of pink and white go well with irises "EMBRACE ME," "ELISA RENEE," "LACED COTTON," "POND LILY," and "DATE BAIT"

The striking colors of "SKATING PARTY," "THROB," "LATIN LOVER," "STARSHIP ENTERPRISE," "RINGO," "VIZIER," and "SALZBURG ECHO," are complimented in this bed with peonies, lupine, pansies, monarda, and the last blooms of forsythia, lilac and snowball bushes.

This bed of irises "PLANNED TREASURE," "MARY FRANCIS," "BUBBLING OVER," "COMING UP ROSES," and "POEM OF ECSTASY," with the complimentary colors of peach/pink and lavender/lilac contains poppies, itoh peony, delphinium, early gladiola, lupine and verbascum.

When planning the beds, I look for companion plants that are relatively easy to grow, are hardy and reliable, and plants that look their best with minimal care. Keep in mind the growth of your irises and the room they need to establish a nice clump.These plants have worked well for me. But, as you plan your beds, don't be afraid to experiment. If it doesn't work, you can always move the plants around.  

What companion plants have you used in your iris beds? I'd love to hear what has worked well for you!