The Perennial Matchmaker by Nancy J. Ondra

Author:Nancy J. Ondra
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Potter/Ten Speed/Harmony/Rodale
Published: 2016-04-14T16:00:00+00:00

Shapes and Textures

The blooms of most irises tend to be on the big and bold side, holding their own with other in-your-face flowers, such as those of giant onion (Allium giganteum) and peonies. For contrast, combine them with partners that have small, airy, or spiky blooms, such as catmints (Nepeta).

The leaves of irises may be slender and grasslike or wider and swordlike—ideal for repeating the shapes and textures of ornamental grasses and other spiky plants, such as daylilies (Hemerocallis), phormiums (Phormium), and yuccas (Yucca). For contrast, consider bedmates with foliage that is broad, like that of hostas; rounded to oblong, like that of upright sedums (Sedum); fine, like that of perennial candytuft (Iberis sempervirens); or ferny, like that of astilbes (Astilbe). Perennials with rounded to mounded forms, like hostas and peonies, are also very useful for adding contrast to irises.

Seasonal Features

Get a jump on the iris season by pairing some of the Miniature Dwarf Bearded and Standard Dwarf Bearded hybrids with other spring bulbs and perennials and with low-growing groundcovers, such as creeping sedums, which will help to keep spring rains from splashing mud onto the beautiful iris blooms. Late spring to early summer is prime iris time for most areas (make that early into late spring for those of you in the South), followed by Japanese iris into midsummer.

“Reblooming” bearded irises, such as white ‘Immortality’, blue-and-white ‘Clarence’, pink ‘Pink Attraction’, and bright yellow ‘Pure as Gold’, may surprise you with fresh flowers in late summer and fall, especially if the soil is relatively fertile and rainfall has been regular.

Variegated irises remain showy well into autumn, and Siberian iris leaves turn shades of yellow as temperatures cool, looking lovely with rich pink and purple asters and other fall-colored perennials and shrubs.

Special Effects

While irises can fit into pretty much any site or garden style, there are a few places where they’re particularly worth considering.

Cottage gardens. It’s hard to imagine the blowsy beauty of a classic cottage-style planting without at least a few irises—especially the Bearded Hybrids and Siberians. Complete the theme with other traditional cottage-garden perennials, including dianthus (Dianthus), lady’s mantle (Alchemilla mollis), lupines (Lupinus), peonies, and perennial salvias (Salvia).

Rain gardens. Slightly sunken and planted with tough perennials, rain gardens are designed to capture water from gutter downspouts, giving it a chance to soak in and rejoin the natural groundwater instead of running off into the sewer system. Rain-garden plants need to be able to tolerate dry periods as well as occasionally saturated soil. Japanese irises are well suited to the lowest parts of these gardens, where the soil tends to stay moist the longest, while Siberians can work well closer to the edge. Hardy hibiscus (Hibiscus), Joe-Pye weeds (Eupatorium), perennial lobelias (Lobelia), and cinnamon and royal ferns (Osmunda cinnamomea and O. regalis) are just a few compatible companions for irises in rain gardens.

Spread the Wealth

Most irises bloom for only a few weeks, and the start and duration of the flowering period for any given iris can vary by a week or more from year to year, depending on the weather conditions.

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