Irises

I never paid much attention to irises.  My cousin, Norma, always had the small bluish purple Dutch irises, around the veranda of her house in Dundee. They were pretty and seemed to spread so quickly.  In the past 10-15 years or so, Mom and I have started planting shrubs, bushes, and flowers in memory of special people who have passed away.  When Norma passed away I knew I’d have to plant irises in her memory.  I chose a selection of various coloured Dutch irises, but also noticed bearded irises in the catalogue.  I thought I’d order some of those as well.  But how do you choose, as there were so many different coloured ones available.  I started with a mixed group of four, and added an additional one to the order.  They arrived in the fall of 2020 and I planted them immediately.  They would show their colours come springtime.  

Spring arrived and so did the blossoms.  The Dutch irises were the first to bloom. 

Some were white with purple and yellow.

White with yellow.

And blue with yellow.

Of the 12 that I planted, 11 bloomed.  I was surprised as I thought they would all be of the blue variety. Sadly only one came back this spring (2022) but only had a stock with no blossom.

The initial five bearded irises were: Coup de Soleil, Cloud Dweller, I Pink I Can, Obsessed, and But Darling.  However when the order was filled, not all were available.  Obsessed was replaced with Grateful Red, But Darling was replaced with Idol, and Cloud Dweller was replaced with Boston Cream.  I was alerted to the substitutions prior to the shipment being sent.  I was fine with the substitutes and especially excited that Boston Cream was being sent.  Norma’s favourite city in the world was Boston and this was just so fitting.  

Irises have standards, falls and beards.  The standards are the three upturned petals, the falls are the three downturned petals and the beard is the fluffy caterpillar looking part at the base of the falls. 

The first iris to bloom in the spring of 2021 was Idol.  It is described as having apricot yellow standards, dark wine purple falls and a red beard.  

The next to bloom was Grateful Red.  The standards and falls are rich red with hints of maroons and browns and dark yellow beards.  

Up next was Boston Cream.  This one has creamy white standards and falls, with slight veining and the beard is orangey yellow with a white tip. This is especially for Norma Campbell Billard.

Coup de Soleil was next.  It has uniform orange (between tangerine and carrot) standards and falls with dark orange/red beards.  

The last to bloom was I Pink I Can.  The standards and falls are both pink and the beard is a darker pink, almost red colour.  

I fell in love with Irises last year.  It was fun to see the surprise as each one bloomed.  They rank a very close second to Hibiscus, as my favourite flower.  I ended up ordering five more in the fall of 2021, which would bloom in the spring of 2022.

All 10 irises came up and Grateful Red was the first to bloom.  The new iris were soon to follow.

Sometimes the standards open enough to view the middle of the flowers. Gorgeous.

First to bloom was Silken Trim.  The standards are violet/purple.  The falls are a much darker purple with the colouring of the ruffles the same as the standards.  The beards are dark, almost chocolate brown.  The centre of the falls is yellow.  

Island Hop bloomed next.  It has primrose yellow standards, violet blue falls and orange beards.  It’s stunning.  

Off the Shoulder was next up.  This one has chalky white standards and periwinkle-blue falls with orange beards.  

It’s fun to see the emergence of the bloom. It is encased in the falls before displaying the full bloom. I was sure this was going to be Home of the Blues until it revealed its true colours.

Goldkist provided a rather unusual colouring.  It has white standards with white falls with 3/4” of yellow gold bands at the haft and purple veining in the throat, with bright yellow beards.  

The last of the new group to bloom was Home of the Blues.  The standards are dark sky blue with darker veining and the beard is a whitish blue.  Another stunner.  

Depending on the lighting, the blossoms take on different colours. Same flower above and below.

Unfortunately four of the originals didn’t bloom this year, but they did grow.  I’m hoping they are still adjusting and will be back in full bloom next year.  I have recently ordered 9 more iris to add to the iris bed.  

I loved watching the growth of the plant and the progression of the flowers. I checked them before going to work in the morning and upon arriving home after work in the evening. It was exciting to see what changes took place throughout the day. I’m anxious for fall to plant the newest rhizomes and to see what surprises they will bring next spring.

I hope you enjoyed my iris blog. Leave a comment if you did, or if you didn’t. All comments welcome. Celebrate the little things.