My grandparents had planted two patches of white-flowered Iris beside the front steps of their house, probably in the 1960’s. This photo was taken on 5-7-17, #327-10.
Bearded Iris
GEEZ! I took a lot of photos of the Bearded Iris over the years, so I am just going to add a few of the best.
There are so many colors to choose from. The Iris growing here at the farm now were planted by my grandparents when they lived here starting in the late 1950’s. I added a few then I moved to the farm when my grandfather passed away in the early 1980’s. My parents moved here when they bought a new manufactured home and put here in 1996. SO, they moved some from their old home to the farm. Then, when I move back here in February 2013, I brought a few with me from Mississippi (which a neighbor from there gave to me).
One of the two Tall Bearded Iris I brought with me from Mississippi. This photo was taken on 5-7-17, #327-17.
This is one of my favorites! Such a vivid shade of blue! It is growing by the back porch. This photo was taken on 5-11-15, #254-12.
This Iris is growing on the north side of the house. This photo was taken on 4-23-17, #321-2-11.
This beautiful Iris is growing in the bed on the north side of the house. This photo was taken on 5-7-17, #327-3.
The clump this flower is from is growing on the east side of the side porch. This photo was taken on 5-7-17, #327-7.
This clump is growing between the garage and driveway next to an ever intruding Flowering Quince. This photo was taken on 5-7-17, #327-7.
This Iris had been growing along the side of the foundation where my grandparents old home was for MANY YEARS. They are remnants of what they planted in the 1960’s. I had a flower bed all along the wall where they had been growing, but dad had been mowing them off for about 30 years. They survived so I moved them to a corner bed. This photo was taken on 5-7-27, #327-9.
This is another one of the colors of Iris that had been growing along the foundation that I moved to this corner bed. The photo was taken on 5-7-17, #327-8.
Now, for me, researching plants is one thing I love doing. I love knowing their scientific names, their origins, and so on. SO, when it came to researching the Iris, I saw right away it was going to be complicated. SO, rather than me writing a long description, I thought it would be MUCH better to just refer you to the American Iris Society.
This clump is on the southwest corner of the house. This photo was taken on 5-7-17, #327-16.
USEFUL INFORMATION:
FAMILY: Iridaceae
GENUS: Iris
ZONES: USDA zones 3a-8b (down to -40 °F)
HEIGHT: 15-24” plus
LIGHT: Full sun to part shade
WATER: Average water needs. Drought tolerant once established.
PROPAGATION: Divides easily from rhizomes
I planted these beautiful Iris in this location in the early 1980’s when there were no trees in this area. After I moved away from the farm in 1987, dad just mowed them off. I was delighted to see they still survived after so many years of neglect. This photo was taken on 5-7-17, #327-13.
INFORMATION:
Iris subgenus Iris explained on Wikipedia.
American Iris Society.
This Iris is growing in a good-sized clump by the street. They are the first to flower every spring. This photo was taken on 5-7-17, #327-12.
This Iris is a different clump along the street. This photo was taken on 5-7-17, #327-11.
SOURCES:
Comanche Acres Iris Gardens
Schreiner’s Iris Gardens
There are many sources of Iris online, even from Ebay. There are also several Facebook groups you can join.
If you have any comments, questions or suggestions, I would like to hear from you.
The Belmont Rooster 