Irises--More Than the Same Old Purple Flags
The Egyptians pictured them in frescoes and prized them for their haunting scent. Painter Georgia O’Keeffe immortalized them too--but in doing so crafted a black so deep that hybridizers have been frustrated ever since, trying to duplicate it.
The iris, with its crisp fan of leaves and distinctive blooms, has been a favorite of gardeners for centuries. As growers have become more adept at creating new colors and forms, the flower has become more popular than ever.
“We’re trying to let people know about the changes in the iris,” says Bill Renehart, president of the San Fernando Valley Iris Society. “It’s not just the same old purple flag people usually think of.”
500 Stalks on Display
On show this weekend at the Promenade Mall in Woodland Hills, courtesy of the iris society, you can see just how far the flower has come. Five hundred different stalks will be on display; you’ll see almost every color of the rainbow (except that elusive black and a true red--oxblood is about as close as iris hybridizers have come). The flowers range in height from 4 inches to 36 inches, some variegated, some ruffled. And, if you’re of a mind, you can even find samples of the good old royal purple variety.
Irises are among the easiest flowers to grow, Renehart says, and will multiply by the season. They can take full sun--many commercial growers raise them in fields with no shade whatsoever--but lacy shadows in the heat of the afternoon can help keep colors richer.
They grow from rhizomes, or swollen roots, and you’ll usually get just one flower stalk per rhizome.
“We’re working on reblooming irises,” Renehart says, “some of which will bloom five or six times a year. Repeat bloomers will bloom at least twice a year, in the spring and again either in late fall or early winter.”
Planting Suggestions
Renehart suggests planting the rhizomes about 18 inches apart. The plants like a light, sandy loam with as much humus as you can incorporate. “They don’t like having their feet wet,” Renehart says. “The drainage should be good, and you should let the ground dry out before you water again.”
He admits to breaking his own rules during heat spells. “You can hold the blooms a little longer if you water more frequently when it’s hot,” Renehart says.
When planting rhizomes, Renehart fertilizes with Osmacote, a time-release pellet actually designed as tomato food. Then, throughout the year, Renehart feeds his irises with an all-purpose, balanced fertilizer.
There are two traditional times of year for dividing irises and replanting the rhizomes--July and October.
“You can quickly tell a mature rhizome from an immature one. Those that are too young (for successful planting) are full of moisture,” Renehart says. “Don’t put immature plants into the ground until they’ve had a time to dry out a bit.” He says a cool, shady place on a patio or in a garage is best--and don’t bag or box the rhizomes until they’re pretty dry, or you’ll get rot and bug problems.
(If you buy rhizomes at this weekend’s sale--they’ll be available for purchase Saturday only--don’t wait until July to plant, Renehart says. Instead, try to get them in the ground within a week.)
What to Expect
You’ll probably get about four days of bloom from each plant, but, in the garden, the irises seem to stagger their blossoms somehow. You’ll typically have color for several weeks.
After the blooms are gone, cut the stalks off, right next to the rhizome. Then, either live with the greenery--you can easily plant annuals all around it--or cut it back if you like a neater-looking bed.
The San Fernando Valley Iris Society Show--10 a.m. to 6 p.m. today, noon to 5 p.m. Sunday--is free. Today’s sale will feature plants from the estate of longtime growers Jack and Daisy Bennie, owners of the Ever-Blooming Iris Garden in Van Nuys, both of whom recently died. They bequeathed a half-acre of irises to the society.
