For colour in spring and early summer, plant a bed of bearded irises (Iris cultivars). This perennial is available in many beautiful colours – shades of blue, orange, burgundy, mauve, yellow, bronze and white. Some are even bi-coloured.
Bearded irises add impact to the garden in large groups of the same colour or planted along the edge of a pathway. In a mixed flowerbed they go well with plants such as delphiniums, foxgloves, hollyhocks and roses. Or plant alyssums and petunias in-between for summer colour, and pansies and fairy primulas for winter.
Bearded irises bloom on stems carried above the foliage. Even when they are not in flower, the grey-green strappy leaves provide interest in the garden. These irises thrive in well-drained, compost-rich soil but are not particularly fussy about…
