For a touch of sheer elegance to your flower garden you don’t have to look further than iris.  They really are one of those ‘no garden should be without’ plants.  Not only surprisingly easy to grow and they come in a variety of forms including some that live happily in water, some that prefer a moist boggy area around ponds, whilst others will add their own impact in borders or rockeries.

As a family they can lay claim to more than 300 varieties and many of these are perfect for our own gardens.  The flowers come in a range of colours including pure white going through shades of yellow into blue and deepest purple.  The most popular hybrids generally available are known as English, Dutch or Spanish irises.

Irises are easily recognised by their erect, sword shaped leaves.  As a rule the flowers are made up of three upright inner petals surrounded by three larger ones falling downwards.  To help in choosing the right plants for your garden irises can be divided into three main groups each needing different growing conditions – not as frightening as it sounds!  The kinds known as bulbous irises, including the popular ones grown in borders, the dwarf winter varieties, the tiny alpine species which flower in the spring as well as those sold as cut flowers in florists’ shops.  As their name implies water irises need moist soil or shallow water to thrive, making them an ideal plant for ponds and pools.  The group known as bearded irises, which includes the popular ‘flag’ irises, get their name from the fleshy hairs on the downward petals are usually herbaceous border plants.

When buying your plants check on the growing conditions you have to offer as the different varieties do have special soil requirements.  Iris reticulata needs a light, well-drained, limy soil to do well whilst English irises prefer soil that is light and moist. Both Dutch and Spanish irises like to be planted in light fertile soil. Bearded irises require a fertile situation in soil that is neutral or slightly alkaline.  Despite the above differences one thing they all have in common is a preference for full sun.

Once they are well established in a sunny position they are not likely to suffer from any problems.  To enjoy a succession of flowers throughout the summer months plant during the autumn.  The first to flower in the early summer are the Dutch, the Spanish varieties follow on a few weeks later and then the English take over.  The latter on the whole are a tougher lot and usually do not need any special help to get through the winter months.