These are a staple in my garden. In fact, bearded iris were some of the few plants still surviving in the long-neglected garden I inherited with my house. If that's not a ringing endorsement for toughness and hardiness, I don't know what is!!
While the blooms only last for a week or two, the foliage looks great all summer and the flat, sword-shaped leaves contrast well with many other plants, adding texture to many plant combinations. It doesn't matter, I am a sucker for the big, colourful blooms (they come in many colours and multi-coloured varieites too) and some are also fragrant. They should be deadheaded after they are finished blooming so that they look tidier.
If you have a patch that isn't blooming, there are 3 possible reasons why, all related to sun.
- They are planted in a spot that is too shady. They like full sun.
- They are overcrowded and therefore not getting enough sun. Divide them and spread them around (and call yourself a designer for adding unity and repetition to your garden!) or give some to friends.
- They are planted too deeply and therefore not getting enough sun. The rhizome (fleshy part that the leaves grow up out of and the roots grow down from) should be planted so that its top is level with the soil i.e. you can see the top of the rhizome after planting.
Drought tolerant. The shorter varieites (shown here) bloom before the taller ones.
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