Tuesday, May 26, 2020

Reviewing The Tall Bearded Iris

Bearded Iris Bloom In Late Spring

The tall bearded Iris is blooming in my backyard right now. Do you have one of the many varieties in your garden? They are one of my all time favorites in the springtime.

bearded iris
Tall Bearded Iris in my own garden
I don't know about you but my favorite time of the year is Spring. I love when the buds begin to pop out and the flowers begin to dot the landscape with color. One flower I look forward to in May is my Tall Bearded Iris. It just brings me so much joy when they bloom.


The Iris Has A Long History

The iris has been around for a very long time. I'm not sure why it was decided to name this particular plant after the Greek Goddess of the Rainbow but it appears that it was. It is a flower that has been a symbol of royalty and monarchs throughout history. It is a long history, too. The palace of King Minos on the Greek Island of Crete has a fresco showing the iris. That fresco dates back to somewhere around 2100 B.C. 

The Bourbon Kings of France used a symbol of an iris to show power and position. We all know that symbol as the "Fleur de Lys". Great Britain adopted the iris as a symbol of the monarchy when Edward III added it to his coat of arms in the 1300's. Queen Elizabeth I had her portrait made in a gown covered with irises.  

Whether it has anything to do with royalty or not, the beautiful iris has been around for people to admire for a very long time. There are non-bearded irises but that isn't what most people think of when they think of this lovely flower in their gardens. 

tall iris
Clump of bearded iris in my yard.

Planting Bearded Iris

You want to plant the rhizomes of the bearded iris in the summer. The reason for this is that they need time to grow and establish in the ground before winter takes hold. If you don't already have them in your garden you can buy the rhizomes from a local nursery or you can find them online.

Every few years you should divide your current colonies of iris. If the plants become to crowded they don't bloom as well. It is really easy to divide them. After they have bloomed for the season, dig around the green stems of the plants. Cut out some of the fleshy brown root looking rhizomes and take to a new area where you want to see irises bloom next year. I like to take a large cutting and then divide it in two or three pieces. It is that easy. Just make sure you water the new area to help the new cuttings take hold and that is it. Next year, you will have more of the tall bearded iris to enjoy.

I'm thinking of adding a different color this year, I particularly liked this color. I think it will blend nicely with the ones that currently grow in my yard.

Click Here To See Yellow and purple bearded iris




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9 comments:

  1. I too love these beautiful, stately flowers. I have been busy photographing them but I didn't know anything of their history. Thanks so much for the information.

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  2. Fun learning the history behind the tall bearded iris. I remember them growing in my grandmother's garden.

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  3. The bearded iris is my personal favorite in my own backyard. Mine just bloomed in the last week or so and I practically danced around it in the backyard. I had to move my favorite one (purple) about 3 years ago because the squirrels or birds favored me with a maple tree in the iris' pot. Removing the junior tree meant moving the rhizomes too. It was a tough call, but I wanted them all to survive so I moved all to the yard. This is the first year it has bloomed since. I feared I had somehow damaged it when cutting or that it simply didn't like the yard as well as it's big pot. I am so glad to be blessed by it's beauty again! Such simple, natural things give us so much joy and beauty. Truly a gift from God!

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  4. I adore irises! We have some Japanese irises that we were given when a family member moved and wasn't taking them with her to her new home. We started out with just 10 or 12, and now we have a lush border of them along the side yard. In fact, we're overdue for dividing and replanting them - they're pretty crowded by now. Bearded irises are gorgeous, and I love the yellow and purple bearded iris you're thinking about adding to your garden.

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  5. P.S. I found the historical symbolism of the iris you shared fascinating!

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  6. Oh Beverly, you have hit on one of my favorites in the garden as well. When I was in my home, I had at least 20 different kinds of bearded iris. The colors and color combinations make this a flower for everyone. Great review and I enjoyed learning about it's connections to royalty and more.

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  7. The blue Dutch Iris is my absolute favorite flower, but I must admit I love the photos of your bearded irises especially the yellow and purple one.

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  8. Loved learning about the history of a favorite flower!

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  9. Beautiful Bearded Iris, such a stunning plant. The yellow and purple one is gorgeous. It is interesting learning the history and love that you included how to look after and divide them too. Yes I love Spring too one of my fave times of the year along with Autumn.

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