I went away at the end of May. The weather had turned for the better, the buttercups swaying tall above the thunder-coloured Timothy grasses. It was early summer, the week everything is at its freshest and most full of potential.
My trial of bearded iris were seizing the moment, the flowers breaking free of the fan of foliage. Iris are almost as good for their foliage as they are their flowers and I like the way they break the horizontal when the borders are low. The new leaves catches the light in brilliant green spears, announcing that they are on the move. The gnarly rhizomes of Iris germanica have stored their energy from last summer so are able to produce a rush of opulence.
I had the paintings of Cedric Morris in mind when I made my selection. One of each, 56 varieties, some coveted, others won over through the nursery catalogues. With his painters eye, Morris was also a great plant collector. In a breeding programme of his own, he had hand selected and named several varieties, called Benton this or Benton that after his own garden. The Benton irises are old fashioned, like fabrics from another era – "Benton Susan", the colour of sandstone and apricots, "Benton Dierdre" with a cream base flecked and spotted with brown and mauve like reflected colour in water.
I also chose more contemporary colours, "Deep Black", as darkly velvet as any blue, and "Anvil of Darkness" which absorbs the light to leave a space in surrounding greenery that defines its outline perfectly. I dabbled with rusty brown reds, thinking "Sultan's Palace" might be good with Rosa "Scarlet Fire". There are a handful of blues and a couple of yellows, to muddle them up like the paintings. Next year, when I can see the best among the crowd, I will find homes for those that aren't right on my sunny slopes.
Iris Germanica are dispatched in July when the plants go into a summer hiatus after expending all that energy. This is when the nurseries divide them to sell and dispatch bare root. It is also when you can split an old clump that is starting to loose vigour. Choose the sunniest spot and well-drained ground to remind them of their origins in the Middle East. The rhizomes should be planted on the surface, the knuckle facing south as if it was sunbathing and roots dug in and firmed to hold everything in place. The fan of foliage should be cut back by a third to reduce evaporation. You should also avoid combining the iris with anything that will shade the foliage during the growing period when they are feeding on sunshine, so keep them to the front of the border.
I have not invested everything in the germanicas, for a wealth of other iris favour the British climate and iris that like a more retentive soil are more numerous. Lofty Iris spuria, flowering late and at shoulder height, is new to me and I have a dozen in the trial. Then there is Iris orientalis, reputedly 6ft tall when in flower. The Iris sibirica are some of the most adaptable, holding their upright seedpods into the winter.
Everything about Iris sibirica is drawn finely and upward until the flowers finally break from their spearing buds into the horizontal. They prefer not to be put in too much competition so enjoy them with mid-height perennials, such as gillenia and tradescantia. "Whirling Butterflies" is one of the finest and most delightful at well over a metre. It is palest China blue. "Mary Pope" is a sumptuous dark purple at just over knee height. It has opulence and makes a wonderful contrast to "Bowls Golden Grass", which is in diaphanous flower at the same time and the perfect light-footed company. "Butter and Sugar" is rare in this group for the absence of blue, the falls lying flat in a brief moment of horizontality. I will pluck a stem and bring it inside to witness the choreography of the vertical to the outward stretch and marvel at the lines they draw for me.
Get growing
Order Iris germanica now to be sure of flower for next year. Dig sharp grit into your soil or grow the bearded iris in a raised bed to ensure health through free drainage. Woottens of Wenhaston have a mouthwatering collection.