Iris - The eye of the garden

I have read several articles regarding Bearded Iris being high maintenance plants because they must be divided every so often to encourage blooming or if planted too deep in heavy clay soil, the rhizome will rot and so on and so on.

What those articles did not mention is that this plant is a favourite food for the slugs, which happen to over populate my garden because the birds don't like eating them compared to earth worms, garden spiders or whatever other insects.

......but I really like the flowers so much that I gave it a try anyway. Every autumn, as I divide the other perennials, I divided the Iris too. Let's call it fun chore, and yes, sometimes I found the rhizomes rotted after the winter months because I had accidently planted it a wee bit too deep and the winter snow added the insults by pushing down more soil on top of them. Garden casualty happened, but it is not a disaster. We live to learn, everyday....

As long as the soil is free draining and the rhizomes is half way exposed from ground level, and the exposed part of the rhizome is dry, they will be fine. This is one plant you don't need to dig the planting hole deeper than a few inches. A bit like planting cactus, the roots goes into the soil and the flesh part remain on top.

I find not only the flowers are beautiful, the shape of the leaves are also very interesting to provide some contrast to other plants whose leaves are generally rounded or oval shape.

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