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Featured Plant:
Iris takes its name from the Greek word for a rainbow, referring to the wide variety of flower colors found among the many species. The bearded iris is a perennial flowering plant that is low maintenance, long lived, and easy to grow. The bearded iris, Iris germanica, has fuzz or a “beard” on the lower petals of the flower. Another distinctive characteristic of the bearded iris is the attractive sword-like leaves.
Dig two trenches with a ridge between them, place the rhizome on the ridge and spread the roots carefully in the trenches. Then fill the A low-nitrogen fertilizer combination such as 10-20-20 or 5-10-10 is recommended. Feed the plants lightly in spring as growth starts, and again in September. Water every other week to keep the soil moist and prevent the plants from going into dormancy. This much water can cause regular irises to rot, so it's best to keep your rebloomers apart from your regular irises. Reblooming irises grow faster than regular irises, so you’ll need to divide them more often. To prevent overcrowding, divide reblooming iris every two to three years, but take only the outside rhizomes of the plant; leave the healthy older portions of the plant intact. Replant the small rhizomes 12 to 18 inches apart.
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The huge blooms of bearded iris in early summer is a welcome delight, but now you can also enjoy these flowers in the late summer and fall if you plant some reblooming German bearded iris. That’s the featured plant at Lavalette Nursery right now, available in rhizomes or in pots.
The iris was one of the first ornamental plants imported to the New World and it has been a popular flower since ancient times. Louis VII dreamed of irises so put one on his banner in the Crusade. Bearded iris has three petals, which is associated with the Trinity. The French planted iris after capturing territories and spread the plant in Europe and the Middle East.
Plant iris in well-amended soil with the rhizome high in the soil, and the roots well-anchored. Plant them in a sunny spot in late summer. The plants need well-drained soil and at least six hours of sunlight per day. A full day of sun is even better to keep the rhizomes dry. Plant the rhizomes all facing the same direction because they “travel” as they grow. If you plant them facing in all directions, they’ll grow together and get tangled.
trenches with soil, letting the top surface of the rhizome be just barely beneath the surface of the soil. In heavy clay soils the rhizome should be planted higher so that up to half of the rhizome is exposed above soil level. Firm the soil well and water thoroughly. Do not mulch. Mulching retains moisture, and too much moisture will cause soft rot of the rhizomes.