Would you like some easy spring color in your garden? August can be the perfect time to plan and plant for that color. Bearded irises come in every color over the rainbow. They are easy to grow, come in many heights and take minimal care. Spring is a busy time for bearded irises—they are flowering and sending nutrients to the roots making new rhizomes for next year’s blooms. In August they take a break and go into dormancy. This is the perfect time to plant!
Bearded irises do best with six to eight hours of full sun. They can be planted in beds with other bearded irises or inter-planted with other plants. Dwarf varieties are a great addition to border beds, and the tall varieties make an impact, standing out in the garden.
Plant each rhizome just below the soil line, barely covering it. Planting it too deep can encourage rot. After planting your rhizomes, deeply water, and then water every couple of weeks. Deep watering at long intervals is better than more frequent shallow watering.
The only work involved with bearded iris is to divide them every 3 to 5 years. You’ll know when it’s time to divide them because you will get fewer and fewer flowers each year. You can replant the divided iris or share them with your friends.
Come check out the assortment of bearded irises we will have for sale. There are over 25 varieties, mostly tall, but some intermediate and dwarf. We’ll have every color you can imagine with names to remember such as ‘Ziggy’, ‘War Chief’, and ‘Baboon Bottom’. See if you can guess what color those are. Happy planting!
–Jeanne