Growing Irises Out East: Celebrating New Milestones

 by Heather and Alleah Haley

Heather's husband, Chris, once told her, "You can grow all of the irises you want if you can make money doing it." Four years after launching our backyard nursery operation, Heather is pleased to share, "We pulled it off!" Our multi-generational iris obsession produced a tiny net profit for the Broley Homestead at the end of 2023. Full disclosure: the effort yielded pennies per hour when all our time was fully accounted for. This is common for new farm enterprises, and we are pleased to celebrate profitability as a small business milestone. It gives us hope that maintaining an half-acre iris collection will be financially sustainable. 

In 2023 we took irises to our local farmers market for the first time.

The labels we use for potted irises in the spring are equally useful for bare-root rhizome sales in the fall

We continue to expand the number of community events and public plant sales we take irises to. Earlier this month, Alleah and Heather traveled to Laurel Hill, North Carolina, for an invited presentation to the Cottonland Garden Club. The presentation "Irises in the Garden: A Month-by-Month Calendar" was inspired by a question asked while Heather and Alleah volunteered at our local Cooperative Extension office. Another volunteer asked a deceptively simple question: "How do I care for my irises?" At the time, the best answer the mother-daughter duo could come up with was "It depends."

Alleah labeling bearded irises in July

Chris dividing beardless irises in September.

Irises are a relatively low-maintenance perennial, but they do require care. Our gardens are home to a curated collection of 1,200 named cultivars that span 15 of the 16 horticultural classifications recognized by the American Iris Society. What we do and when varies greatly depending on the quirks and preferences of each plant type. Having a knack for organization and creating educational materials, Heather crafted a region-specific, month-by-month calendar outlining the method to our madness. We have given this presentation several times to local libraries, and patrons say they loved it. Recently, Heather was invited to present the calendar program for our local AIS affiliate and the Cooperative Extension group that initially inspired the program. It will be an honor to finally share our best possible answer on a vast topic.

Volunteer work helps our business live its purpose: to preserve, support, and sustain. We thoroughly enjoy sharing our passion and love of irises with the public. Alleah, Chris, and Heather share personal commentary and stories about the plants, and customers seem to appreciate our insight. The following are some varietal notes about the top ten sellers for the Broley Homestead during 2023. 

'Dusky Challenger' (Schreiner, 1986)

In tenth place is a garden rockstar: 'Dusky Challenger'. The first time Heather entered an iris show, she brought a stem of this with her. The show was held in a mall; and while transporting her blue ribbon entry back to the car, several people wanted to buy the stalk. 

When we say this iris is a rockstar, we mean it! 'Dusky Challenger' won the American Dykes Medal in 1992. In 25 of the past 29 years, 'Dusky Challenger' was voted #1 as the favorite iris in Tall-bearded Iris Symposium voting. Alleah believes we could sell every rhizome of this iris we could grow; it's that good. 'Dusky Challenger', "probable child of the . . . famous 'Titan's Glory' (Schreiner '81), has all the outstanding qualities with more intense, deeper color saturation and even better, more highly refined form." [Perry Dyer, writing in the IRISES Bulletin No. 263 (October 1986)]. When she lived in California, Alleah routinely gave iris rhizomes to her coworkers. She rarely could convince folks to keep the irises name-labeled, but "the near-black one," be it 'Titan's Glory' or 'Dusky Challenger', increased so much with regular horse manure fertilizing that one recipient couple had it blooming all over their three-acre rural property in just a few years. 

'Bermuda Triangle' (Anna and David Cadd, 2000)

In ninth place in sales was 'Bermuda Triangle', a space-age border bearded (SA BB). While the general public tends to be somewhat reluctant to buy "novelty irises," 'Bermuda Triangle', with its horns at the ends of the beards, is a vigorous grower with a striking color pattern. It won an Award of Merit for border bearded irises from AIS judges in 2006. This award honors the top 1% of irises introduced during the previous three to five years. 

Broley Homestead is pleased to distribute this introduction of Alleah's close friends, Anna and David Cadd of Healdsburg, California, even more widely. 'Bermuda Triangle' increases well and thrives in the North Carolina climate. Although our peers on the East Coast often say that irises from the West Coast don't do well, this hasn't been our experience. It certainly isn't the case for this eye-catching median selection or many others purchased from or gifted by our West Coast friends.

Again and Again (Sterling Innerst, 1999)

In eighth place was reliable rebloomer (RE) 'Again and Again', a tall bearded (TB) iris. Our customers are really surprised when we tell them that some irises can bloom twice, both spring and fall; so reblooming is a strong selling feature. However, we like to share with customers that rebloom behavior requires both a genetic trait and favorable cultural conditions. When most irises are resting in the summer, a rebloomer is firing up for another round of bloom. Gardeners who provide nutrients and water to rebloomers in the summer are more likely to enjoy bloom again in the fall. 

'Stairway to Heaven' (Lauer, 1993)

'Stairway to Heaven' placed seventh among our 2023 sales. This iris won the American  Dykes Medal in 2000. It tended to rebloom in California, mainly when grown under a nighttime security light, as Alleah did at her workplace. It isn't known to rebloom in North Carolina. One of Heather's friends planted it under the porch light at her back door, but this may not provide enough wattage to prompt rebloom. We can hardly wait to situate some West Coast rebloomers under a security light to see if we can get rebloom here.

'Sicilian Orange' (Michael Sutton, 2016)

Sixth place 'Sicilian Orange', also a TB, grabs public attention, whether in the garden or in a photograph accompanying the plant at an iris sale. The striking combination of deep orange and wine in this bitone is delightful. It won an Honorable Mention in 2018 and an Award of Merit in 2022, and is under consideration as an iris that deserves two (or more) growing spaces in our production field. We don’t have any pots of ‘Sicilian Orange’  available for 2024 because we sold every extra rhizome we had of this variety last fall. 

'Sharp Dressed Man' (Thomas Johnson, 2010)

'Sharp Dressed Man,' in fifth place, is a child of the 2010 American Dykes Medal winner 'Paul Black', and bears a similar but perhaps even more stunning red beard than that of its parent. It absolutely screams, "Look at me!" For those who appreciate irises that share names with song titles, this one is sure to make their list. This tall bearded iris forms impressive clumps with many increases in our production field and consistently produces bloom stalks we enjoy taking to spring iris shows. As you might expect, American Iris Society judges consistently cast votes for this one. 'Sharp Dressed Man' won the highest award specific to tall bearded irises, the John C. Wister medal, in 2016.

'Immortality' (Lloyd Zurbrigg, 1982)

Fourth place 'Immortality' (TB RE) is one of the most reliable rebloomers wherever we've seen it growing. Its hybridizer Lloyd Zurbrigg focused on breeding reblooming irises and 'Immortality' was one of his most successful introductions. Alleah recalls reading an account that 'Immortality' bloomed during five months one year in one garden. Our customers certainly picked a good one here! The pure-white self pattern coordinates well with other iris colors and patterns making it a wonderful addition to any iris collection.

'Gypsy Lord' (Keith Keppel 2006)

'Gypsy Lord,' was our third most frequently sold iris and is another striking American Dykes Medal winner, this time in 2015. Its red, white, and blue color combination has been a somewhat elusive goal of iris breeders, brought to fruition here by the highly honored hybridizer Keith Keppel. The red-orange beards against the white center and mostly blue falls quickly catch the attention of customers. Keith's creations won the American Iris Society's top award, the Dykes Medal, eight times over the period, 2004 - 2021. Except for 2021 when two Dykes Medals were awarded to make up for no awards at all during Covid year 2020, only one iris has been awarded the American Dykes Medal each year since 1927, and it was not given in several years for various reasons. 

'Carved Pumpkin' (George Sutton, 2012)

'Carved Pumpkin', an intermediate bearded (IB) iris, was our second highest seller. This iris increases well, so we had many pots and rhizomes to sell. Our cousin Wendy loves the color orange and, like the public, she is attracted to any iris featuring orange coloration. The color of iris blossoms is influenced by soil pH. Try increasing this by adding bone meal or decreasing pH by adding acid fertilizer such as azalea/camellia food to see which intensifies flower pigment.

'Titan's Glory' (Schreiner, 1981)

'Titan's Glory', another American Dykes Medal winner, this time in 1988, was our overall best seller in 2023. Like many of the Dykes winners, this tall bearded iris is a vigorous grower and produces many increases in our garden. The original Schreiner’s catalog described it as "a fantastically sumptuous silken Bishop’s purple self," and it is. 

We often wonder if Perry Dyer was correct in his assertion that 'Titan’s Glory' was one of the unknown parents of  'Dusky Challenger'. Genomic testing for irises is possible, and we know scientists in laboratories who could help. However, the price-per-sample is rather high and we would need to sell many more irises than we do now to absorb the cost.

For 2024, we continue trying new things and sharing the joy of irises. Heather spent the winter upgrading the Broley Homestead website, and Chris engineered new protective structures to transport plants to market. Alleah has been hard at work creating metal labels for guest irises at three gardens near us. All hard work, but each new milestone is cause for celebration.

Thank you to all who have helped us learn and grow. 

New website categories make navigation much easier  

Utility trailer upgrades help us get irises to market

Beginner’s Corner: Container Gardening – Part 1, Containers

 by Doug Chyz

Did you come back from your local iris sale with more irises than you have room for in your garden or are you a container gardener already? Are you looking for a temporary home for your irises until you get beds prepared, or would you like to have a few larger containers filled with irises as specimen plantings anchoring walkways or patios? No matter the reason, growing irises in containers is easy. The following are some tips, tricks, and traps for growing irises in containers.

First, you need to consider what the size of your containers will be. You may have locations that allow for very large containers, or you may be restricted by space or even funding. Large decorative containers can be expensive and then you need to add soil to them which is another expense. Speaking from experience, I know that irises can be grown in containers from one gallon in size to very large ones so do not be afraid of using smaller ones especially if you are using them for temporary homes.

A large container makes a great statement

Although I have successfully used one-gallon nursery pots, my preferred size for temporary homes are three-gallon nursery pots. They provide space for the irises to increase and will allow irises to bloom over a two-to-three-year period if you want to keep them in the containers that long. Realize that nursery pots have drain holes and they will need routine watering – read daily during the summer. If you provide a basin under the pots that will hold some water the irises will thank you, but they will still need daily watering during the summer.

You can enjoy irises in containers

I currently live in South Carolina near the coast and do not have to worry much about winter weather. Before moving here, I lived in Virginia with snow, ice, and freezing weather during the winter. My potted irises remained outside all year round. They did fine, but if you live in an even colder climate area you may consider locating the pots in an area where you can mulch around them. You do not have to worry about them being covered with snow; but if you are having a long dry spell during the winter, you should water them. Also, if you had basins under the pots, you should probably remove them for the winter.

Don’t overlook the opportunity to use a large container if you have a place for one or more. I have used them with one variety of iris with several rhizomes to get a nice potted clump effect, and I have used them for several different varieties to include smaller dwarf irises along the outer edges and taller iris or irises in the center. And consider various types: Siberian, Louisiana, or Japanese would make great choices and for those of you who can grow Pacific Coast Natives, larger pots would make great showcases for them.

In Part 2, I will talk about soil for containers, so come back again.

Waiting for Rain on the West Coast

by Kathleen Sayce 

The astronomical calendar has rotated into autumn: Rain and cooler weather bring mushrooms, migrating birds and salmon, and new growth for many types of irises.  Here on the West Coast, it’s time to plan fall lifting, dividing, and replanting of Pacifica irises.

Wait for your plants to show fresh white roots that are at least two inches long. If you have access to irrigation water, water thoroughly a few times in September and October to help encourage Pacifica irises to break summer dormancy. Watering is needed only when replanting, and not weekly thereafter (unless it doesn’t rain for weeks and the soil dries out). 

Monitor weather for rain, and wait for the soil to dampen to a depth of at least six inches (or irrigate your garden). When new iris roots emerge, start planning times to rework and plant flower beds. Better yet, consider scheduling a planting party! Along the coast, this is usually October into November. 

Take time to replenish soil coverings (aka mulches), and amend soils with nutrients and carboniferous materials like compost, ramial, and biochar. Any time you dig a plant hole, add some carbon, work it into the hole, and then replant. My preferred carbon-rich materials and sequence (bottom to top) are: biochar, compost, ramial, wood chips. 

Although I make my own compost, I never have enough. Ants, mice and voles haul seeds around, and seem to like dragging grass seeds and some dicots into my compost piles. If you can get it, compost from methane digesters is seed free. 

When I rework beds, I layer biochar and compost over the open garden bed that is ready to replant. Then I plant into this area, working the carbon materials down and around each hole and the roots. I may also add more compost on top, below the top layers (ramial and wood chips). 

Ramial is a freshly shredded blend of hardwood stems and leaves, like shrub and tree branches. During fall cleanup I shred hardwood branches before leaf fall, and put these chips out as a top dressing on garden beds. This mix breaks down easily without needing extra nitrogen, and helps boost carbon in the soil. It’s almost as good as foliar sprays for plant health. Like compost, I never have enough ramial. 

Biochar is charcoal, pretreated with compost to inoculate it with microorganisms, and is usually ground into a coarse powder. It helps soils retain water and nutrients, and promotes good soil structure. It’s especially a boost for beneficial soil fungi, which helps promote healthy roots in Pacifica iris.

Perennials thrive with wood chip mulches. We have trees, which regularly need limbs removed. I chip them, and turn the resulting wood chip pile to compost. Fungal mycelia appear throughout the wood piles within a few weeks. When I add these chips to an iris bed, fungi are coming with them. Fungi are beneficial for both the soil and my plants. 

If wood chips are too coarse when fresh, run them through a chipper.  (NOTE: I have learned the hard way to wear a mask when chipping—my lungs do not care to inhale wood dust, fine bits of leaves, shredded fungi, or compost fragments. For extra protection, put a bandana over the top of a N95 mask. Eye protection is a good idea too.)

Fine wood chips can also be added to a compost pile. They provide a coarse source of carbon and help break down food scraps for optimal compost texture.

Other soil amendments to add to garden soils during the fall include: eelgrass, dried kelp meal, ground oyster shells, feather meal, and mineral soil amendments. 

Eelgrass mats wash up on the boat ramp at the local port, which gardeners can collect. We have enough rain that we can add it to garden beds, on top of the wood chips, and know the rain will dilute the salt. Otherwise, lay the eelgrass out to compost, let rain wash the pile for a month or two, then spread it.

Winter is coming, but before that season comes fall--the best time to plant, replant and transplant on the West Coast. Enjoy the season!

Tools for the Iris Garden

 By Bryce Williamson

I have tools for the iris garden that I need and use every day. Recently, I decided to ask the members of Facebook's Iris Lovers group what their favorite tool was for the gardening. Here is a sample of the answers.

Mitch Jameson, from Missouri, has several tools he finds essential: “A 4 tong strong potato/garden fork preferably made somewhere other  than those weak cheap ass things  from China that break and bend so easily; a good 1-2 gallon sprayer for spraying fungicide for leaf spot; a Marshalltown smallish trowel or a good knockoff, sharpened each side for pulling weeds; and a long strong spade to dig deep to turn soil.”

Laura Ann Browning likes “Cobrahead. Short and medium handles.” This is a new product to me.

Heather Grace Haley Broberg  noted that she liked “using OXO kitchen shears to trim iris leaves. I do this when dividing, and to minimize leaf spot. They are easy to separate to clean and sanitize and the grip is very comfortable for extended use.”

Bonnie Perozzi Doolittle has relocated her irises to Oregon and writes: “I would be completely lost without my small size shovel. I am short so this little shovel is just perfect for you. I have them scattered all around so I don’t have to carry them place to place.”

Renee Fraser, former editor of the AIS’s World of Irises blog, wrote that “My favorite garden tool is the spade for shovel pruning non-performing irises!”

Delane H Langton also listed a number of “must have” garden items: “Ergo stainless fork and shovel. Scissors gloves and ergo trowels.” He noted he “may have acquired the remaining US stock of them.”

Ben Lawn’s “absolute favorite piece of garden equipment are my Felco model 9 secateurs. They are incredibly well constructed; I can buy every component as spare parts. Best of all I’m left-handed, and the model 9 is constructed in reverse compared to regular secateurs so they are much easier for a left handed person like me to use.”

Vanessa Spady wrote “I would love to share with you my favorite garden tool because I could not live without it, especially when I’m working with my iris. Iris RN “on your knees“ plant. I can’t do very much with them when I’m standing up, so I don’t use my standup tools for them, I use this odd ducky. I can use it as a garden fork on one side, and as a spade on the other side. I have a good leverage with it because it’s short handled on the ground. And best of all, I can control where I’m putting it because I’m up close, and I almost never (almost) hit an increase or buried rhizome because I’m down low. No idea what it’s called, but this is what it looks like.” I have been told that this is a planting mattock.

Gail Simmons commented that her “favorite iris gardening tools. A potato fork and smaller long handled spade." I had to look this one up and found "Potato forks have flat-fronted triangular-section tines. They are not so good for digging over the soil. They are for gentle diagonal probing and lifting of root crops and tubers from relatively loose soil. They do less damage than the same person with a digging fork.'

Lynda Miller, a well known iris hybridizer now in Oregon, noted “Garden shears (modern version of sheep shears). Can trim foliage for hours without getting tired. We turned Thomas Johnson on to them.”

Lucy Burton wrote short and sweet to the point, “Cape Cod weeder.”

Marilyn Schuster Kiger says her “best tool yet is my Japanese hori hori knife. I can cut, divide, dig deep rooted weeds, lift plants. Strong metal with good balance and wood handle. My go to garden tool.”

Since I started this, I must mention my most important weeding tool—an O-ring hoe. I like it because I can precision weed and there is something infinity satisfying with I feel the snap of the root on the despicable weed. Sadly, this hoe does not seem to be made anymore and I keep going through handles trying to make this O-ring hoe last as long as possible.

   

 

 

Dishing the Iris Dirt

By Bryce Williamson

No, The World of Iris blog has not joined The National Enquire in dishing iris dirt on people, but rather this post is about real dirt and the problems iris growers face when growing irises in the same garden for many years.

I first planted irises in this yard in 1977 and the bloom the next year was amazing and just what I would have expected from soil that had never had irises grown there; however, as the years went by, the quality of growth and bloom declined and this seems to be a common story among iris growers.

Looking back, many of us have tried different things to get good growth and bloom. Some were more successful than others; other methods no longer are allowed by environmental regulations. I know of no one that really understands why modern bearded irises deplete the soil.

The most obvious thing is to fertilize more—Region 14 hybridizer Vern Wood wrote in an article for The Bulletin of Region 14 that he applied fertilizer heavily so that it looked like a light snowfall.

In the good old days, it was possible to fumigate soils and this seemed to reset the soil for a period of time.

Large growers like Schreiner’s rotate their fields, but that is not really possible in home gardens. I have tried letting areas of the yard go fallow, but that does not seem to really work.

I have even shifted the main planting of named irises to the front yard and that helps for a time.

Bringing in new soil helps too, but again it only helps for a time. 

Over the last 8 years, I have been on a different program. 

Once the area to be used is cleared, we apply 15-15-15. Some will question the numbers of the fertilizer, but that was what irises growers in this valley were using when I first joined the iris society and I have not had a reason to change. Once the fertilizer is down, I water heavily and I want moisture down 4 or more inches into the soil.

Then I buy chicken compost. It is more expensive than steer compost, but steer compost can contain unwanted seeds. The chicken compost may be a bit hot upon arrival, but that quickly is resolved over a few days or a week. That chicken compost is moved into the area to be renovated and covered to a depth of 3-4 inches. The amount of compost is determined by the area to be covered. In the good old days, if I bought enough compost, the delivery charge was waived, but that perk has done the way of the dodo... Ah, the good old days.

Then we bring in the largest rototiller we can get into the yard; when I moved here, I could have a tractor and tiller brought in and that was wonderful because it would cut deeper into the soil, but these days the infilling of what was once a semi-rural area has sadly removed that option. The area is then ready to be tilled.

I insist that the area tilled must be cut in at least two directions. All of these preparations I like to have done between the end of bloom season and the start of shipping season when my purchases start to arrive.

The plants grow well, bloom freely, and there is the added bonus of the soil being very friable. Although it is early November as I write this and I am having problems figuring out how to come up with images, I will dig a rhizome or two in the morning so that you can see the quality of plant this process produces.

A sample of an iris grown in revitalized soil.

 

Growing Irises Out East: Draining Well in the Piedmont

by Heather Haley and Alleah Barnes Haley

Irises growing beside Heather's driveway

Greetings from the Piedmont, a plateau in the eastern United States between the Atlantic Ocean and the Appalachian Mountains. This is our first post for the World of Irises blog. As a mother-daughter team, we joyfully spent many hours at Heather’s kitchen table working on the booklet for the 2019 national convention and are pleased to serve the American Iris Society in a new way. 

Keren, Heather, and Susan with their mother Alleah Haley at a national convention

Aitken’s Salmon Creek Garden, Portland, Oregon 

Members of our family have grown irises from one coast of the United States to the other since the 1940s. Although climate and soil characteristics differ from one location to the next, one piece of advice is timeless and universal: bearded irises prefer full sun and well-drained soil.

As a child in New Mexico, Alleah learned this the hard way. At the age of nine, she was given the area along a shaded driveway where she planted bearded iris rhizomes from her mother Gertie. The irises grew poorly. Alleah’s early experiment taught her a basic principle of iris culture: plant bearded irises in full sun with well-drained soil. Three years later she used a sunny spot and planted gifts from her mother’s iris friends: a new introduction from hybridizer Georgia Hinkle and two advanced seedlings from hybridizer Steve Varner. They grew well!

As an adult in California, Alleah provided optimal growing conditions for irises using raised beds with full sun. Alleah constructed wooden beds over wire to keep gophers from eating her irises, and filled the beds with purchased sandy loam soil. Although the surface of  raised beds is flat, a combination of soil type and elevated planting ensures that irises are well-drained.

Raised beds at Alleah's home in California 

From a young age, Alleah’s youngest daughter Heather enjoyed helping her mother in the garden. For about a decade, mother and daughter bonded while weeding, digging, and replanting mom’s irises. Heather learned a lot about growing irises while she lived on the West Coast. However, moving to the East Coast gave Heather an opportunity to learn an important lesson for herself. Bearded irises grow best when planted in well-drained soil.

Source: National Resources Conservation Service, USDA

As an adult, Heather settled in North Carolina’s Piedmont region and planted irises of her own for the first time. With help from her husband Chris, Heather established iris beds along the driveway of their first home. Although the area was in full sun, the ground was unlike anything the two California natives had seen before. A dominant soil order in many parts of the southeastern United States is Ultisol, and it is especially prevalent in North Carolina’s Piedmont. North Carolina also has heavy rainfall (over 50 inches per year). The combination of climate and soil characteristics required Heather and Chris to acquire some new skills and learn techniques for gardening in “red clay.”  Due to limited finances, Heather chose not to construct raised beds like Alleah’s. She planted her irises directly into the dense, characteristically rust-colored Ultisol. 

Heather's first iris bed - October 2012  

In 2012, Heather began establishing iris beds.  Her first tasks were removing grass and “double-digging” to the best of her ability. As a frugal beginner, Heather spent her vacation using a shovel and brute force to break up the red clay along the driveway. Heather became VERY tired. Next, Chris helped Heather apply and incorporate a 3-inch thick layer of “flower and vegetable garden soil” purchased at a big-box store. This amendment was intended to increase organic matter, improve drainage, and supply irises with a modest amount of nutrients. Heather planted irises as she had in her mother’s garden in California, and Chris applied a thick layer of hardwood mulch to keep the weeds down. Unfortunately, neither strategy was ideal for growing irises in North Carolina. When a heavy clay soil is flat, or covered with mulch, irises struggle because the surrounding soil doesn’t drain well. The next spring, Heather started losing irises to rot. She pulled the mulch about 5 inches back from each of the remaining plants. Thankfully, no other irises were lost but several varieties known to increase well in other gardens didn’t. 

Tall bearded iris 'Broadband' (Tasco, 2002) before pulling back mulch -  April 2013

Replanting iris using sloped beds - October 2014

Clearing the backyard - February 2013

Planting iris on mounds in the backyard - October 2014

After spending much of 2013 preparing Chris’ vegetable beds in the backyard, Heather wanted to try changing the shape of the iris beds along the driveway to improve drainage. Heather dug all of her irises, amended the clay with more “flower and vegetable garden soil,” and adjusted the slope of the bed so that heavy rainfall would drain away from the irises (and the foundation of the house). Also in 2014, Heather tried forming mounds of soil 2 feet in diameter and 4 inches tall in the backyard, planting each with 3 rhizomes of the same variety. This time around, all irises grew and increased well. These early experiments taught Heather her own lessons about growing irises in the Piedmont. In clay with poor drainage, Heather amends her soil generously with organic material. If clay needs better drainage, she recommends planting irises in sloped beds or on mounds about 4 inches high. In locations with heavy rainfall, gardeners should avoid applying mulch in bearded iris beds.

Reblooming iris ‘Peggy Sue’ (Lauer, 2006) planted in a sloped iris bed near a warm brick wall - December 2015

Irises in the sloped bed near driveway in peak bloom - April 2016

In the years that followed, Heather’s iris collection continued to expand and space for Chris to grow his vegetables got harder to come by. In desperation, Chris told Heather “You can grow as many irises as you want if you can make them pay for themselves.” He didn’t expect Heather would actually try doing this, let alone be successful. However, his idea to grow all iris she wanted got stuck in her head. Heather tested distribution methods, and tried potting up increases to see how much care they would require. Heather and Chris also experimented with planting irises like a row crop. They planted irises on ridges of long, narrow mounds. Instead of buying “garden soil” amendments by the bag, truckloads of leaf compost arrived from an independent garden center that made it themselves. Chris experimented with using a flame weeder* between rows instead of mulch. More iris rhizomes were grown successfully, more iris varieties were increasing well, and there were fewer weeds to pull. However, Chris and Heather faced a new problem. Growing additional iris varieties would require more space in full sun.  Although it was tempting, they decided against digging up their front lawn and converting the space to irises, as many have been known to do. They started imagining a yard big enough for fruit trees, greenhouses, irises, AND vegetables.*Note that the propane-fueled flame weeder can be used only on windless days and in wet regions.

Chris incorporating a 3-inch layer of leaf compost - August 2017  

Iris planted on ridges in the driveway - August 2017

 Iris planted on ridges in the backyard - August 2017

An early experiment with potted irises - April 2018

Irises in pots and rows surrounding Chris’ vegetable beds - April 2019

In 2019, Heather enrolled and completed North Carolina Farm School; a business course for small and beginning farmers offered by NC State Extension. A pair of small-scale market tests provided evidence that Heather’s business plan had potential and that preserving her family’s iris collection could pay for itself. Heather and Chris had also come to appreciate their families’ agricultural roots, and they wanted to try preserving an old farmhouse. Halfway through 2019, Heather and Chris purchased a 100-year-old restored farmhouse on 7 acres in rural North Carolina. The former tobacco farm has suitable, well-drained soil and is now home to “Broley Homestead and Iris Farm.” [Broley is a mashup of the couple’s last names, Broberg and Haley.]

Heather with potted irises during a small-scale test - April 2019

The family iris collection spent a year growing and increasing in 3-gallon pots. Meanwhile, Chris and Heather cleared land and established iris production beds. Soil at the farm contains less clay; and now they add leaf compost by the dump truck-load to improve soil texture, increase drainage, and add organic matter. In the summer of 2020, iris beds in the production field were formed using a tractor with a garden bedder attachment. They are about 6 inches tall, 30 inches across, and 150 feet long.  Heather is currently experimenting with pre-emergent herbicides and Chris continues using a flame weeder* between iris rows. 

            Potted Iris at the Broley Homestead - April 2020

Tractor Max with garden bedder attachment - August 2020

Tractor Max helping apply leaf compost to production beds. - August 2020

Chris watering recently planted irises in raised production beds - September 2020 

Also in 2020, Alleah sold her home in California and relocated to North Carolina. She now lives about 20 minutes from Heather and Chris’ farm. Most of the varieties from Alleah’s collection are now growing on the farm, and she goes there frequently to lend a hand. With strategic purchases and donations from iris friends, the family collection now numbers about 700 varieties. Although forming iris beds on a production scale has required new techniques and equipment, the principles we learned early on remain equally useful today: Bearded irises grow best in full sun with well-drained soil.

For Comments:

What advice do you have for others growing iris and how did you learn it?

What iris topics would you like to read about in a future post?