"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?