Bearded Iris for Mixed Border? Suggestions...

I am rejuvenating a sunny mixed border and would like to include a tall purple iris with excellent garden habit (and hopefully a rebloomer) and a tall golden yellow rebloomer, again with excellent garden habit--that is, nice shape (flower stands well above leaves), good proportion, neat, long bloomer...Any ideas? I am a novice gardener (and new to the site) so I appreciate any thoughts on your favorites. Thankyou. T.

Just so you know, bearded irises are vulnerable to rot if they are overwatered or grown in consistently moist soil. For that reason, they are best planted in an area with excellent drainage (a raised bed is ideal) and with drought-tolerant companion plants that don't require supplemental water. If you intend to mulch your border, keep the mulch pushed well away from the iris rhizomes so they and their surrounding soil can stay dry.

Irises also need plenty of room to grow into showy clumps without being crowded by other plants, so don't plant their companions too closely. Irises also need excellent air circulation around their leaves to keep them healthy.

One of my very favorite TBs is a yellow (more of a clear, medium yellow than a bright gold) named HARVEST OF MEMORIES (you can see its pic here: http://plantsdatabase.com/go/35227/index.html). It is an incredibly strong and vigorous grower, reliable bloomer (and rebloomer - but not here in zone 3), unfailingly hardy and healthy, and blooms consistently on tall, strong stalks. You just can't go wrong with this cultivar.

There are a number of purple TB rebloomers. Among the best and healthiest performers in my garden are AUTUMN BUGLER and SIGN OF LEO. Others include HOLY NIGHT (absolutely gorgeous *dark* purple), FEED BACK, and SUGAR BLUES (more of a lavender blue with an *incredibly delicious*, strong fragrance).

Happy shopping!

Laurie

Thanks, Laurie, for the pointers on planting Irises. I have seen them in mixed borders at the Huntington Gardens in LA and other places and thought I would try them here. It might be a challenge, but they are so interesting I thought I would try to plant a couple. (We are planting a separate raised bed area featuring only iris, too.) Today I posted specific questions about appropriate soil/sand amendments to improve clay/loam soil for iris--do you have any follow up for that? thanks for your interest and favorite suggestions. I will get my catalogs out! T.

Laurie--just a follow up to thank you for the leads on the rebloomers...I researched them on the web and they look like they are just what I want/need. But most of all, thanks for the beautiful photos you have posted on the data base. They really helped a lot! T

I plant all my iris in mixed borders with plenty of room around them for air circulation. I use drought tolerant plants as Laurie suggests and have great luck. This is a May view of a small bed near the house.

This is the same bed with non-blooming iris in July.--different angle.

Love your flower bed Wanda. I plant Iris in a mixed border too. Mine aren't rebloomers, but are the high point of my Spring garden. I have a lot of daylilies in the same bed along with coneflowers, sedums, coreopsis, lilies and other plants that don't get a lot of watering from me, but some . The Iris have done very well for a number of years in this mixed bed. This year we have had more rain than normal and I did find a few bulbs with rot this last week when I divided them, but only in a few of the older tubers trhat I threw away. I have ordered Pagan Dance which is suppose to be a nice violet with a velvety black area on the falls and a rebloomer. Will be interesting to see if it reblooms for me. Ordered it from Iris City Gardens.

Wanda- Thanks for posting the beautiful pictures of your mixed border. Yes, that's the 'look' that I am going for! I hope that mine will be as successful. It was interesting to see the May version and then the July version--beautiful 'continuous' bloom!

Thanks, L., too, for the list of perennials you combine with your iris. I bet that is a beautiful display, too. T.

lincolnitess,
I only water limited spots if I just put in new plants--too lazy to drag the hose all over the yard, I guess. I'd rather spend my time deadheading or enjoying flowers.
I mulch heavily around all perennials except the iris. I get away with it most years...

Same iris/dayliy--whatever bed in September last year.