"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: ELEGANT, CAREFREE BEAUTIES IN THE GARDEN - Season favorites

Susanne Holland Spicker

Elegant and carefree, tall bearded irises have proven to be a satisfying and rewarding gardening experience for me in zone 6. By the time September rolls around, the flowers have long since faded, and the stems cut to the ground. However, the memory of last spring's bloom lingers... 

 (front to back) 'GLOBAL CROSSING'  (Van Liere '12), 'EMBRACE ME' (Van Liere '08),
'PRETTY GENEROUS' Innerst '04), 'FLIRTINI' ( Sutton '12),
 'SISTERHOOD' (Van Liere '11) This bed always does well.
They love where they're planted--just the right amount of sunshine and moisture

Pictured here are just a few of my season favorites. Some are relatively newer cultivars, while others are older classics that have performed well over the years. 

'GLAMAZON'  Blyth '07   Beautiful in every way!

 July and August are busy months in Zone 6 in the iris beds: dividing existing clumps, planting new rhizomes, relocating others and revamping beds with companion plants. I always take time to evaluate the successes or failures of the previous bloom season, and try to improve the beds. There have been several times I was ready to call it quits with an iris, thinking, despite my best efforts, it just wouldn't grow in my zone. But after transplanting it to another area in the garden, it wound up thriving. Although this isn't the case every time, more often than not, it is. 'GLAMAZON' (Blyth '07) is one example--it is now thriving after moving it. In its second year, several stems with huge blooms rewarded my patience--I'm so glad I didn't give up on it.

Another example is 'EDITH WOLFORD' (Hager '86). It has been reliable and prolific for several years now after having marginal success with it in a prior bed. It never disappoints, blooming consecutively now for over 10 years. My advice to the beginning iris gardener is to always try another location before removing it for good.

'EDITH WOLFORD' Hager '86    A Dykes Medalist and reliable, older variety

'ENGAGEMENT RING' (Ghio '11)    Every bloom is perfect!

Another season favorite was 'ENGAGEMENT RING' (Ghio '11). This exciting bi-tone has excellent form, with clear, soft yellow standards and pure white falls rimmed in fuschia-orchid. The bushy bright gold beards against the stark white falls make it a stand out in the garden. It was not only a personal favorite, but visitors to the gardens voted it their favorite.

'DARKSIDE' (Schreiner '85)    Outstanding black!

An older black, but one that performs well consistently is 'DARKSIDE' (Schreiner '85). Although I have several other blacks, this is still one of my favorites in this color class. It's hardiness and reliability, even in an off year where other irises struggle because of weather-related problems make it a must-have in my garden.

Other 2016 season favorites include:

'PURPLE SERENADE' (Schreiner '05)  Mulberry-claret beauty

'LEMON CLOUD' (Painter '08)   Beautiful form and longevity of bloom

Amoena 'MILES AHEAD' (Schreiner '10) 

'FLIRTINI' (Sutton '12)   Wonderful combination of color and form! I love the yellow turned-to-blue beards on this light melon and white beauty

'EYE FOR STYLE' (Blythe '06)  Magnificent!

'HIGH BLUE SKY' (Ernst '98)  I love the soft blue of this iris with darker veining on the falls

'ABOUT TOWN' (Blyth '97) A clump of this iris is glorious!

'ROSY FORECAST' (Williamson '10) Beautiful combination of colors on this pink plicata

'KATHY CHILTON' (Kerr '06)   Dramatic!

(Left) 'PROUD TRADITION' (Schreiner '90), an older, reliable variety and 'BY DAWN'S EARLY LIGHT' (Van Liere '13), the first year bloom on this beautiful blue.--I love these iris with the bluebells and bright two-toned cherry lupine

'ROMANTIC GENTLEMAN' (Blyth '02)   Stunning!

'JESSE'S SONG' (Williamson '83)  Reliable and hardy--among the first to bloom

'EPICENTER' (Ghio '94) Excellent form on this dramatic plicata

'QUANTUM LEAP' (Sutton '05) I was very pleased with this first year bloom.
 It was a gift from an iris friend--Thanks, Lori L.

'EMBRACE ME' (Van Liere '08)  An all-time favorite pink--gorgeous with fast increase

'FLAMINGO FRENZY' (Johnson '12) I love the dusky beard and blue-pink color on this laced and ruffled iris

'DEEP CURRENTS' (Johnson '09 ) I love the deep color on this stunning flower

'TENNESSEE GENTLEMAN' (Innerst '91)  First-year bloom - a pleasant surprise!

'TENNESSEE GENTLEMAN' (Innerst '91)  The standards are especially beautiful

I could post several more season favorites, but time and space won't allow. I hope some of these favorites inspire you to add to your iris gardens, or have brightened your day a little. 

If you had a favorite in your garden this year, I'd love to hear from you. What makes it a favorite? 

TALL BEARDED IRIS SUPER ACHIEVER AWARD, PART ONE

by Dawn Mumford 

     Each spring we enjoy watching our iris garden's rebirth after the cold freezes and snows of winter.  It is so fun to see all the newly planted rhizomes bloom for the first time.  It is also fun to see the older irises that open each year so faithfully.  It is like seeing old and dear friends. Neal, my husband, and I have what we call "The Super Achiever Award”. Although it isn't a bonafide award with a trophy or certificate, it is recognition by us for doing a good job.  This award goes to those irises that really go the extra mile to grow vigorously, bloom more, rebloom more, make a pretty mound or just show off.   It seems to be the same ones almost every year unless they have just been divided.  I would like to show you some pictures of those extra nice irises.  I highly recommend these because you can rely on them to perform well if your climate is similar to ours.        

We are in zone 6b in northern Utah fairly close to the Idaho border.  Our home is 4,300 feet elevation and there are three 9000 ft peaks east of our garden just a few blocks away.  Average rainfall is 16 to 18 inches of rain per year.  We are classified as a desert with only Nevada being dryer.   We also have temperatures that go over 100 in the summer and sub zero in the winter.  Irrigation is a must and we do plant our rhizomes with about 1 inch of soil over the top for protection from the extreme temperatures.                                                                                                                

                                  Neal and Dawn Mumford's Iris Patch                                                                                                                         

This post is especially for those of you who may have very little space for irises, since you will want the ones that grow vigorously.  I will show the pictures and explain why we gave that iris our award.  

I usually take close-up pictures of iris because, let's face it, my weeds won’t show and the flower itself is so intricate and fascinating. We don’t hire help, and my husband takes care of the iris alone. We have an orchard and 5 1/2 acres  of grounds and he is ill so we do have weeds.  I’m sure some of you can relate. That being said here are some pictures of some of our “Super Achievers.”

Here is our iris patch just waking up from a long winter. 'Jesse’s Song' is in the middle and 'Change of Pace' in the right corner.  That is 'Victoria Falls' is on the far right middle.  These three are almost always the first to bloom. What’s nice about 'Jesse’s Song' and 'Victoria Falls' is they bloom almost all season long, especially 'Jesse’s Song', which is first and last to bloom.  A super achiever indeed.  So both 'Jesse's Song' and 'Change of Pace' have been given our award.

                                        'Jesse's Song' (Williamson 1983)                                              Here is a collage of 'Jesse's Song' and notice all the buds that are still coming.  This iris is a very nice plicata. It was awarded the Dykes Medal in 1990.

'Change Of Pace' (Schreiner 1991) 

This striking iris always puts on a good show.  I think that it likes plenty of room to spread.  This clump has a 6 foot wide path on the right side of it.  The clump is always huge.  I like the beautifully arched standards and the plicata coloring. 

 'Many Thanks' (Gaulter 1989) 

Cooley's Garden sent out this iris to thank us for helping them celebrate their 60th anniversary Year in 1988.  This is me standing behind 'Many Thanks' on the level ground.  I am about 67 inches tall and as you can see 'Many Thanks' is at least 54" tall.  It is on sturdy stems that don't blow over except in the strongest of winds.  Both the shape and color are worth the Super Achiever award.

'Aegean Wind' (Schreiner 1991) 

This clump is always a Super Achiever.  It blooms and blooms and blooms. I also love the reverse bitone coloring with the dark blue-violet standards and lighter falls.  It is pretty planted by yellow or orange. 

'Edith Wolford' (Hager 1984) 

This bloom has been around a long time. Isn't it still lovely? It won the Dykes Medal in 1993.  It is very ruffled and has excellent form. I also love the glimmer on the petals.  The canary yellow and blue violet are so distinct from one another.  It is another one that is robust for us every year.

'Conjuration' (Byers 1989)  

This won the Dykes Medal in 1998. This iris is very healthy here and also very tall. Neal is 6' tall and 'Conjuration' is 50-57" tall.  It also withstands all but the strongest winds even though the stems are rather thin. The masses of blooms doesn't hurt my feelings either.
  

'Lemon Mist' (Rudolph 1971)

This delicate colored bloom is such a nice clean color.  It has a pleasing form. As you can see it looks good planted next to 'Shipshape' and 'Edith Wolford' or any nice lavender or purple bloom.
   

'Magical' (Joseph Ghio 2007)

The first time I saw this bloom in my garden in 2014 it just took my breath away.  The ruffling is extravagant and doesn't tear while opening.  It makes masses of blooms and photographs like a dream.  It is one of my newer Super Achievers.  

'Supreme Sultan' (Schreiner 1988)

I'll end this blog with one more Super Achiever that didn't win by the number of blossoms or by the size of the clump but by the massive flower itself.  It is on ramrod stiff stems and the flower is 7 1/2 " x 5". This variegata (yellow standards with deeper falls which or solid tones of brown, purple or red) is flamboyant and frankly shows off.  I love that it has arched golden ochre standards and solid rich mahogany-red falls. It grows very well here.  Note the size with Neal holding the clipboard behind it and compare it to his hand which is considered large or extra large.  

We have had a lot of snow and cold temperatures this winter.  I am yearning for mid May to June when our garden will once again look like this.

What irises have you found to be especially pretty and hardy in your garden?  I would love to hear your comments.   

Heavenly Hager Irises

Late at night, after I kiss my dear husband goodnight, I sneak out of our bedroom, pad down the hall, and turn on the computer in my study.  I spend hours on the internet chasing my next fix:  beautiful photographs of irises.  I search garden blogs, Facebook pages, garden forums, and commercial iris grower catalogs.  I assemble dream gardens and wish lists.

I expected to grow weary of this obsession within a few months and to move on, perhaps to something more respectable like playing Resident Evil 5.  I was mistaken, and my nightly sojourns only leave me wanting more.  Occasionally I find a photograph that is so beautiful that I must share.  My husband Mike is a good sport, and will give an animated nod of appreciation when I call him in to look at an especially pretty iris, but to tell the truth, from the glazed appearance of his eyes, I suspect the Nairobi Trio is playing in his head.


When I saw Barbara Kuhlman's photograph of Ben Hager's iris 'Edith Wolford' on Gardenweb, I knew I couldn't limit my sharing to Mikey.  I had to share it with all of you.

After a night spent with this photo, I recalled another lovely picture of 'Edith Wolford' and decided on the theme 'heavenly Hager irises.'  I was smitten with this enchanting photo by Laurawege on Dave's Garden quite some time ago.  Here the geraniums and delphiniums make perfect companions, and have me fantasizing about a new lavendar-blue and yellow bed in my garden.  

All of Joel Shaber's photographs of his Idaho garden are worth staying up into the wee hours to view, but his images of 'Edith Wolford' are particularly lovely.  These photos show why this iris won the highest honor for an iris, the Dykes Medal, in 1993.

The word 'clump' seems unsuited to describe such beauty.

'Edith Wolford' blooms midseason and is a tall iris, reaching 40 inches.










Susanne Holland Spicker grows irises in her brilliantly coordinated and charming Utah garden.  She feeds the iris addiction with her exceptional photography in her blog, Sowing the Seeds, a great site for late-night iris ogling.  Here she has captured the beauty of Hager's 'Poem of Ecstacy' which she grows with 'Jump For Joy.'

'Poem of Ecstacy' was the winner of the John C. Wister Memorial Medal for tall bearded irises in 2004.  Here it is paired with tall lupines in Susanne's garden, demonstrating her talent combining plants with different forms and coordinating colors.

'Poem of Ecstacy' grows to be about 36" tall and blooms midseason.














'Beverly Sills' is Ben Hager's most famous iris, with consistently high ratings in the American Iris Society's popularity polls.  It was the 1985 winner of the Dykes Medal, and is named after the famous opera singer.  It does her justice.

This iris is easy to grow in Southern California and makes a satisfying clump in a short period of time.  It has quite an extended bloom season in cool weather here.  Last year it was blooming from late April through June.

'Beverly Sills' is a pale, warm pink.  It is a photogenic iris, and has the wide falls that Ben Hager is so famous for creating.

This is 'Beverly Sills' with 'Lady Friend.' 

















'Chasing Rainbows'  is a 1998 Hager introduction.  Naomi DiVincenzo, an avid gardener who has just won her first blue ribbon for iris horticulture, grows a lovely clump on her grounds, Front Range Iris, in Colorado.  You can see how she brought home the blue from this photo.

One of my regular stops during my nighttime forays on the internet is the archive of the American Iris Society's annual Photo Contest.  This is why:

This photo of 'Chasing Rainbows' by Becky Fain, the proprietor of the Inn at Iris Meadows in North Carolina, won first prize and appeared on the cover of the AIS magazine.  I wanted to make sure that those of you new to growing irises got to see it too.


The American Iris Society Photography Contest is a wonderful way to share your irises, your garden, and your photography with other iris lovers.  The deadline this year is June 30, so if you love taking pictures of your irises, please consider entering.  We have many long nights ahead in front of the computer, and we need more beautiful photos!