Why I Can't Live Without My Bearded Irises

It seems that people either just love bearded irises, or they say they hate them because they just don't bloom long enough. This seriously perplexes me in a cerebral way because as far as perennials go, I can't think of a spring flowering plant that gives you such an extended bloom season. The miniature and dwarf bearded irises begin blooming in about mid April in our Indiana garden and are then followed by the intermediates, border beardeds, and then the tall beardeds wrap up the show in late May. That is almost six weeks of continuous bloom if you plant hybrids from the various types of bearded irises.

Irises are among the kings and queens of the perennial bed. The colors and patterns are a gardener's dream. The color palette offering neutral whites, bright and gentle yellows, soft lavenders, pale and dark pinks, eye popping brilliant blues, purples, golden russet, toffee, and browns, wines, nearly red, and almost black. Who could not build a stunning Spring garden with a color wheel like that? The blooms can be as tiny as two inches or bigger than my hand. You can plant them in large splashes of color, or as accents.