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This series has come to a close. With all the information I have given you, I wanted to appeal to you one last time to add iris to your landscape. So here are the top five reasons to grow an iris.
1. Pajaritomt said, “Because I love them. Same reason I love strawberry shortcake. They are beautiful, easy to grow and come in more colors, shapes and sizes that one would ever believe possible.” And that is it. They are simple, easy to grow plants that are a classic in the garden. You can not go wrong with adding iris to your life. They are one of the easiest plants to use, grow and love you can ever add to the garden.
2. Breath Taking Beauty – No matter how many iris I have seen, how many years they are in my garden, or how they came to my garden, I find that each new morning when the iris are in bloom I jump up to see their colors and shapes in the morning dew. These are not just a plant that will complement others in the garden. It is a plant that in bloom stands up and says look at me I am here and sent to give you a great start to a great day!
3. Tough Plants – I hear time and time again that when every other plant in the garden has failed the iris are still there. You can find them in places long left by humans, still there doing what they were planted to do. They guard many a forgotten grave. When families’ minds have grown dim in time they are still there growing, blooming, and keeping watch. These are not a plant that will just give up after a bad year. They will be there today and for a long time to come.
4. Carefree – Apart from a very few pests, these plants are carefree wonders. They would have to be to live in all the places and conditions they not only live in but thrive in. Forget to feed them, they dare you. Forget to water, they double dog dare you. They are there and will take the abuse and neglect that all our gardens get from time to time.
5. They Bring in Others – What other plant can you grow in your yard and have so many people look at and get interested in just by seeing the blooms? What other plant gives you so many names that the whole neighborhood comes over just to read them all? What other plant gives you extra plants begging to be shared with the new friends their blooms bring you? Nothing but the wonderful iris gives so much and takes so little.
Bringing an end to our twelve part odyssey through the world of iris is hard for me to do. There is so much more to tell you, so much more to share. I strongly suggest that you head over to the Iris Forum here at Dave’s Garden. I ask you to go to the public gardens near you that offer tours. I ask you to go to the Garden Watchdog and see what good vendors there are near you. I ask you to learn more, read more, and by all means get out there and plant an iris!
I want to thank Pajaritomt, Jackieshar, Avmoran, Irisloverdee, Happygarden, and Doss for answering my many research questions for this article. Thank you to mgh for these wonderful images.
About M Fitzgerald
I am a pentecostal preacher, gardener,husband, and a father. I love natives, daylilies, iris, and roses. I love teaching others, be they children or adults, about the garden and plants.
Posted by Deerfieldcorgis (from Philadelphia, PA) on April 7, 2008 at 7:55 AM:
What is the name of the blue iris pictured in your article today? It is beautiful!
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Posted by MitchF (from Oklahoma City, OK) on April 7, 2008 at 8:29 AM:
Siberian Iris 'Regency Belle'
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Subject: Great series
Posted by doccat5 (from Fredericksburg, VA) on April 3, 2008 at 10:32 AM:
Good job, Mitch. Fascinating and interesting subject. You presented the information extremely well. Besides I don't know of anyone that wouldn't want some of these beauties in their garden! Thanks for sharing all that wonderful information.
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Posted by MitchF (from Oklahoma City, OK) on April 3, 2008 at 12:17 PM:
Thank you!
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Posted by Fitsy (from Hayesville, NC) on April 7, 2008 at 1:13 PM:
Why grow iris? When I was a wee child, my grandmother
had a vacant lot that for several springs was awash in pale
blue iris. This beauty affected me deeply, and maybe my
iris will in turn affect another wee chld.
Fitsy
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Subject: Your very own iris
Posted by LouC (from Desoto, TX) on April 2, 2008 at 10:33 PM:
Unbelievable that I have been the happy recipient of many of Mitch's iris. With his upcoming move to continue his education, he has gifted my garden with exquisite iris and many other plants. Expected that it would 1-2 years before anything bloomed. Not so. They are filled with scapes and several are already in full bloom. Your help has been wonderful. Now I know how to care for "our garden". I will take the best of care I know how always remembering they ultimately belong to God.
LouC
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Posted by MitchF (from Oklahoma City, OK) on April 3, 2008 at 7:19 AM:
LouC - Thankyou - I have some musa coming for you still too from the co-op!
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Subject: My Iris Bloomed this Morning...
Posted by MistyPetals (from North Augusta, SC) on April 2, 2008 at 6:05 PM:
and what a beauty! Wow!. There she is among the tulips, taller of course, and so pretty. I love her. She's awesome! Every day for weeks, I watched the stem grow and grow and grow and waited, patiently. I am so pleased with the bloom, I can honestly say it was worth the wait. Of course she bloomed while I was waiting for the roses to bloom, she's such a blasted show-off. (LOL)
There are other iris near her, the wait continues. I'm like a kid at Christmas.
Thanks for all the work you've done on this series, it was very helpful to someone who never attempted iris before.
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Posted by MitchF (from Oklahoma City, OK) on April 2, 2008 at 7:10 PM:
Thank you - glad they helped!
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Posted by MistyPetals (from North Augusta, SC) on April 4, 2008 at 7:49 PM:
...and the first roses bloomed today! Spring is in the air AND on the ground.
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Subject: I am enjoying your iris articles
Posted by leaflady (from Hughesville, MO) on April 2, 2008 at 2:24 PM:
Each one is something interesting. Thanks for all the research you must do and sharing it with others.
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Posted by MitchF (from Oklahoma City, OK) on April 2, 2008 at 8:40 PM:
Thank you - I have really loved do this group on my top flower.
