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keeping iris bed somewhat tidy

cookie44
14 years ago

I recently bought a home and was lucky enough to inherit a bed of different colored bearded irises. It looks beautiful for the few weeks the irises are in bloom. I find, however, that it pretty much looks bad the whole rest of the year. I think this must be my fault as I am perhaps ignorant as to how to keep these plants looking somewhat tidy and what to cut or trim when. I know I probably need to divide the plants this year, even though I'm a little nervous I might ruin some of them.

Any tips of how to keep this bed looking nicer all year round?

Comments (11)

  • delightp
    14 years ago

    Maybe I should add a disclaimer.

    I'm not one of the "iris experts" that hang out here. I have iris in addition to other perennials and I do not always follow the rules, I make my own.

    What works for me in my rough and tumble garden may not work for others.

  • newyorkrita
    14 years ago

    delightp- One reason I have not had iris TB iris before this is that personally, I think the folliage is ugly and thats what you get to look at most of the year when they are not in bloom. So my opinion is even less politically correct for an iris forum than yours is. That said however, I don't know what other flower could rivel todays modern tall bearded iris flowers for beauty, form and those jewels of color!

    I like your dividing advice, sounds good to me. I did have old historic iris years ago before my garden redo and that how I divided them. They grew like crazy.

    One thing someone suggested to me was to plant annual portulacas in between the iris to give the bed some color while the iris are not in bloom. Sounded good to me but I will not be able to try that advice myself until next year as I am only doing my new iris bed this July.

  • iris_gal
    14 years ago

    I agree about the looks. Not as ugly as cymbidium orchids out of bloom but still not the most attractive look during summer.

    I have my beardeds planted amongst roses & re-seeding annuals. Right now the Nigella is in full bloom. Poppies are almost over. Alyssum is in front tho I've used low-growing, drought resistant perrenials too. Oh, the shasta daisies are about to start. And there are some chrysanthemums too for fall color.

    The only rule I follow is to not plant a moisture loving plant between beardeds. I even have daffodils mixed in since they like dryer summer soil. They're marked to not slice into when dividing.

  • mad_gallica (z5 Eastern NY)
    14 years ago

    In the east, planting anything among the iris becomes a rot invitation. There are some toughies who can handle covered rhizomes, but it's not really a good idea.

  • hosenemesis
    14 years ago

    I love iris foliage. I grow some in shade just for the gray-green spikes. I pull off dead and yellow leaves.

    I think they look much prettier in a garden mixed with other plants, in clumps. I do have the problem mad gallica pointed out- even here in CA if the pansies grow over the rhizomes they can rot.

  • disneynut1977 ~ Melissa
    14 years ago

    I'm also care for the blades of thier foliage. I like the spiky look.

    Melissa1977

  • cookie44
    Original Author
    14 years ago

    Maybe part of my problem is the way the bed is already set up, which I didn't plant. Maybe also I'm not trimming it correctly/properly. It's not the easiest bed for me to take a photo of because of how it is situated, but here is what I inherited.

    {{gwi:1020498}}

  • hosenemesis
    14 years ago

    Wow, it looks like a nice yard- so green! and a very pretty bed, but I would say those irises are overgrown and in need of dividing.

    I would thin them out considerably, and separate the different colors into a series of clumps that can be more easily maintained. Then you would have space between them to plant other things.

  • cookie44
    Original Author
    14 years ago

    Thanks. I didn't divide them the first year we moved in because I wasn't sure when they had last been done (and too much a novice to be able to tell) so I figured I'd be safe and wait a year before I started. Guess I could've done it a year ago.

    Thanks for the tips everyone!

  • ofionnachta
    14 years ago

    I put daylilies with the irises, and I do give them room. Also, of course, divide when they get larger. And there are daffs in between, for early spring. And buy those throwaway chrysanthemums in fall & set them next to the bed.

    That way everybody's ratty stage of foliage is distracted from by the flowers of some neighbor. And there is always some kind of color in there.

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