What kind of purple iris?

Umpteen years ago...we planted our iris (old fashioned blue/purple) behind our peonies. But those die off during the winter.
Why not just trim the foliage down to about 6" until it dies completely & then trim to just above ground?

I think California poppies would look smashing, but of course they don't last. If you want a great color combo while they are blooming, the purple and orange should be wonderful! But if you want to cover the dry iris leaves during their out-of-bloom season, I think the CA poppies would give you the same dry-area look.