My Obsession with Bearded Irises

My obsession with bearded irises, Siberian iris, and all things iris continues to grow. Hubby bought me a beautiful encyclopedia of iris breeds that was on clearance and I’ve got that plus some other iris books out in the living room now. Each evening, I thumb through them, dreaming. Red or blue? Bicolored or solid? It’s hard to decide.

Bearded irises grew fairly well on Long Island but they thrive here in Virginia. Each spring, I see clumps and thickets blooming in glorious profusion at the edge of farm driveways, by sheds, even in ditches alongside the roads.

My goal is to plant at least one new variety each year. Last year, I planted a soft pink bicolor and a blue and was rewarded with blooms from the soft pink. The iris we moved from Huntington are thriving, so much so that Hubby remarked yesterday I may have to divide them again. I think it’s too soon and want to give them another year or two.

In the meantime, as the cold weather descends and I start cleaning up the flower garden, I’m trying to decide where I can fit in more bearded iris. Should they go by the pathway, or in the back? Near the butterfly garden, or on the edge of the woods? Like the daffodil and narcissus bulbs we planted in the orchard, I want to plant new iris bulbs each year, until the garden is covered with them.

I know it’s not time to plant them. It’s not even time to order them. But I’ve already started window shopping…

Can you imagine how beautiful it’s going to be when I get those bearded iris all along the edges of the woods?