Dwarf iris ultimate. Growing bearded iris in a garden bed. Planting and caring for dwarf garden irises

Any owner land plot tries to arrange her flowerbed as beautifully as possible. One of the quite interesting ones is the dwarf iris. Nowadays, there are many varieties of flowers of the most various forms and shades. They attract the attention of passers-by with their incredible buds and beautiful bright blooms. You can plant such a low-growing flower on lawns and flower beds, in stone gardens and even in a living corner. Everywhere the plant looks interesting and shows itself only from its best side.

Irises of this species are low-growing varieties. The height of the stems of these flowers, as a rule, does not exceed 40 cm, but most specimens grow to a maximum of 20 cm. Regardless of the height of the stems, the size of the buds is almost the same in all cases. On an individual plant there is only 1 type of buds of the same color and shape. The color scheme of the petals can be very different. As a rule, the most common colors are lilac, bright purple, yellow and red irises. But we cannot exclude the possibility of acquiring more original color plants (blue, orange, pink), since now experienced gardeners have managed to cultivate a number of new varieties.

Each peduncle is capable of bearing at least 2-3 flowers. There can be a huge number of shoots on one bush. This is why, at the height of the season, your dwarf iris will look very colorful and bright against the background of other flowers. Unlike ordinary forms of the plant, the low-growing analogue is not so demanding in care and fertilization, which is what captivates many gardeners.

This culture is usually divided into 2 completely different varieties. These are standard dwarfs and miniature dwarf counterparts. When purchasing this variety you should Special attention pay attention to the benefits of the plant:

1 The dwarf iris produces its first buds already in the second year after planting. This makes it possible to admire the most beautiful flowering after a short time.
2 Dwarf irises usually begin to bloom several weeks earlier than full-sized tall varieties.
3 Iris of this species has a very colorful inflorescence and decorative foliage and will delight the eye for a long time.

Apply dwarf irises in landscape design very widely. Their versatility is captivating, which is why varieties of this flower are planted almost everywhere where there are all the necessary conditions for them.

The most unique varieties

The cultivation of this plant began to gain momentum relatively recently. The dwarf iris first became known to the population approximately 100 years ago. But even in this short period of time, a huge number of different varieties have appeared. Now we will look at the most commonly grown varieties of irises

Wink is considered an interesting and popular variety of iris. Their peculiarity is their color. The snow-white buds have a bluish edge. The height of the stem, as a rule, does not exceed 25 cm. Interesting fact It is believed that exactly 2 full buds are formed on one peduncle. Their size in diameter ranges from 5 to 9 cm.

An interesting analogue is the Cry Baby irises. They have a soft blue color. The size of the open buds is quite significant and reaches 10 cm. As they grow, the blue petals fade slightly, after which they become almost white, especially in the upper areas. The stem of the plant reaches 30 cm, but still on each of them it forms different quantities buds - from 1 to 3.

An interesting iris is Puppet. The flower petals have a delicate lavender color with neat brown veins. The peduncle of irises can grow up to 30 cm and produces no more than 3 buds of impressive size (up to 11 cm in diameter).

The Sapphire Gem variety looks good in flower beds. Its main advantage is its deep blue color, which is especially difficult to find in nature. The plant is quite small in size. This dwarf iris justifies this definition, but its diminutiveness is compensated by bright color, which draws attention to the lawn.

Well, the last one interesting variety is Little Dream. The bud combines a delicate blue color and a lilac tint. The size of the open buds is quite large for a relatively small stem. 2-3 flowers are formed on one peduncle.

Planting in open soil

Everyone knows that planting almost every plant begins with the selection ideal place in the garden. Low-growing varieties of iris love sun and open space. Only in such conditions they will bring the bright and variegated flowering that every gardener expects. Professionals recommend setting up a flowerbed in a well-lit area where Sun rays almost all day. These varieties are ideal for planting in rock gardens and rockeries.

Irises prefer soil that is fairly light, but at the same time rich in fertilizers. It should receive a large number of air throughout the day. The soil environment must be neutral, otherwise the dwarf iris simply will not sprout. If the soil in your garden is not too loose, you can mix it with simple quartz coarse sand. When the soil is too acidic, you need to add alkaline substances to it, which neutralize the environment. Such substances can be ash or lime.

We must not forget about creating high-quality drainage. With its help, excessive moisture will not stagnate in the soil, so the iris roots will feel good even in the wet season. Planting process low growing irises is no different from the same process of planting tall analogues. Still, there are some rules, the observance of which depends further fate plants.

Professionals recommend planting flowers in open soil only in the warm season. The most optimal time is mid-spring or mid-August. The advantage of the culture is its resistance to various transplants. They take root well in just a few days.

A dwarf iris is planted so that the root collar peeks out from under the soil. The plant should be watered generously for the first few days, especially if the weather is hot. A couple of hours after this, the soil must be thoroughly loosened.

Caring for low growing iris

As we have already said, the dwarf iris is not whimsical. Still, gardeners say that the plant must be fertilized at least once a season. It is best to do this in the spring, immediately after the soil has thawed. Flowers are usually fertilized with potassium-phosphorus fertilizers. Thanks to this, the plant will produce at least several large and bright buds.

During life, some flowers may dry out. Not only do they spoil the overall picture, but they can also stimulate other buds to dry out. It is customary to trim off wilted buds. At the end of the season, even the foliage should be trimmed to a maximum of 10 cm.

Every few years (3-4 years) it is necessary to divide the plants and plant them in separate areas. During division, it is very important that each fragment of the rhizome carries at least 2-3 leaves with it. Otherwise, the plant will not sprout, and you will simply miss the chance to get iris offspring.

Well, we must not forget about watering. In the hot season, the soil should be moistened 2 times a week in normal quantities. In spring and autumn, watering should be reduced by at least 2 times, since plants do not like stagnant moisture.

The low growing iris is amazing plant, the beauty of which can transform any flower bed. Try to grow a crop on your site, and you will understand that you will not find a more unpretentious plant.

Without irises, these luxurious beauties, not a single garden can do without. But you can often hear that irises bloom too quickly. Famous iris collector Yuri PIROGOV I don't agree with this. And I’m ready to prove that with the right selection, irises can delight us for more than two months (photo by the author).

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Dwarf irises

Already at the end of April, the Don and Stavropol steppes are colored with bright spots dwarf iris (Iris pumila ). The variety of its colors is amazing: yellow and purple, cream and blue, white and greenish. Flowers with and without spots, fragrant and not so fragrant, you can’t count all the options! Dwarf iris grows best on well-warmed and dry tops of chalk hills. Possessing excellent vitality, it has spread over a vast territory from Austria to the southern Trans-Urals.

Sixty years ago, breeders took notice of it and began hybridization programs to cross with tall bearded irises. The result was not long in coming. Three groups of hybrid varieties appeared and quickly gained popularity. First - standard dwarfs, unites hybrids of dwarf and tall bearded irises and their descendants. Hybrids are born easily and have outstanding qualities, which is why this group is the most numerous and popular of the short ones. Standard dwarfs have peduncles with two to six flowers ranging from 21 to 40 cm in height. The rhizome quickly forms a bush of several flower shoots, so that the flowering period of the bush (from the second half of May) stretches for two weeks or more.

Another hybrid group is miniature dwarfs- was the result of crossing dwarf iris with standard dwarfs. It combines varieties with peduncles below 20 cm, blooming earlier than standard dwarfs. They are perfect for rock gardens and rock slides, adding amazing color. The most significant differences between varietal dwarfs and the natural species are in the form of a flower. If in the wild species the lower petals (halli) are narrow and often “bashfully” wrapped towards the base of the flower, then in miniature dwarfs the halyards are wide, round and horizontally spread, showing their pattern in all its glory. Another difference is less obvious, but more important. Wild dwarf iris loves dry and hot summers and therefore is short-lived in the middle zone, while hybrid varieties adopted the best traits of their parents, becoming one of the most problem-free. IN Lately Unscrupulous sellers offer dwarf irises collected in the southern steppes in the spring. Be carefull! You will not get from them in the north what you can expect from modern hybrids, and with a high degree of probability you will destroy wonderful plants.

Dwarfs have inherited the colors and patterns of all their ancestors. Business card their flowers have become a contrasting spot on the halyards - a distinctive feature Iris pumila . If in wild-growing iris this spot is barely noticeable on the tucked halyards, then on the wide horizontal lobes of the varieties it appears in full glory, and breeders pay special attention to this feature. One of the best examples of this trend is the dwarf ‘ BigBlueEyes’ - amazes with a bright and clear dark blue spot. Picturesque like an oriental carpet ‘ OrientalCarpet’ with a wine-red spot on a lilac background. The spectacular Australian variety ‘ Awake’ the spot is drawn in stripes along the veins.

Another distinctive feature of many varietal dwarfs is a blue beard. It is curious that this sign is not found in any Iris pumila , nor the tall ones bearded irises, however, it is characteristic of wild growing iris leafless (Iris aphylla ), which clearly indicates that the species contributed to the pedigree of garden dwarfs. Many varieties have blue beards, but hybridizers sought to get them as dark and contrasting as possible, and finally the efforts of the American Paul Black were crowned with success. Among its seedlings there appeared plants with remarkably bright blue beards - white ‘ Bluebeard’ sGhost’ and creamy yellow ‘ ’ .

"Hugs"

The heritage of the leafless iris is also noticeable in the variety ‘ ForecastingRain’ , amazing with its blue beard against the black background of the halyards, which are not inferior in blackness to the darkest tall bearded irises. White beards on dark background, undoubtedly heritage Iris pumila . They varieties look great on a dark purple background ‘ ’ or wine red stain ‘ Devoted’ . And purple-black ‘ WishUpona Star’ , perhaps the most contrasting of the whitebeards.

Tangerine-red beards, inherited from tall bearded irises, look completely unusual on dwarfs. If in tall people they are hardly noticeable, then in a dwarf ‘ Hugs’ became the main decorative element. Gorgeous juicy and rich colors of orange ‘ ’, ruby ' ’ sArt’ , yellow ‘ CousinCarol’ , apricot ‘ CameoQueen’ or chocolate ‘ DeathbyChocolat’.

More recently, breeders have achieved that pink varieties have appeared among the dwarfs, not inferior in color purity to tall bearded irises. One of the best was ‘ PussycatPink’ . Plicates are also remarkable for their contrast, ‘ ’ - one of them. Some modern dwarfs are as tall and ruffled as the flowers. ‘ WideOpen’ - a wonderful lace miniature. The leopard pattern is also completely original. ‘ LeopardPrint’, until recently, known only in tall irises.

Dwarf irises are good both in rockeries and in mixborders. Various heights bushes allows you to create harmonious compositions with other perennials and groundcovers, and after flowering, fans of crescent-shaped leaves will add dynamics to them.

Irises intermedia

Following the dwarfs comes the flowering of the irises group intermedia, which includes hybrids obtained from crossing standard dwarfs and tall bearded ones. They also bear the unmistakable imprint of dwarf iris, which makes them unlike the medium-sized irises of other groups. The group has been called "intermedia" because of the flowering time and plant size, intermediate between tall bearded irises and dwarf irises. From the former, these hybrids inherited larger flower sizes; from the latter - resistance to adverse factors, growth energy, speed of bush formation and abundance of flowering. These irises are still little known, but, undoubtedly, they will soon take their rightful place in our gardens, for example ‘ StormSong’ .

When compared, cut intermedia flowers are sometimes inferior to tall flowers due to their smaller size. But it is not entirely legitimate to compare these groups of irises. They are not competitors, and not only because they bloom in different time. They have completely different roles in the garden. Intermedia irises form bushes with a large number of flower stalks. They look great in a mixborder, easily getting along with other plants. A person who sees these irises blooming is captivated by them forever. Their colors are no less varied than those of dwarfs; just look at their mystical beards ‘ EchoCatcher’ , hot pink with purple pattern ‘ LovetheLook’ or mysterious ‘ ShadowsCast’.

Everyone knows that irises bloom best in an open sunny location, but the incomparable growth energy of many intermedia varieties, such as "In a Flash", gives them the opportunity to bloom well even in noticeable shade - under apple trees and other trees. This allows you to decorate many places in the garden with irises that were previously considered unsuitable for them.

Agricultural technology of dwarfs and intermedia bearded irises the same as that of tall bearded men, but they are incomparably more hardy and do not require much care. Dwarfs can be planted more densely than tall ones; they grow faster, forming abundantly flowering bushes, but vigorous growth may require more frequent division. Dwarfs do not need winter shelters.

The most late varieties tall bearded irises finish flowering in the first ten days of July. But the iris carnival does not end there.

Irises - pseudodata

Japanese irises bloom in the second half of July. Unfortunately, not everyone is successful with their imported varieties, and here a new generation of hybrids of marsh iris and cultivated Japanese irises, called pseudodata- from the Latin names of the parents Iris pseudacorus And Iris ensata . A new group varieties inherited the excellent health of marsh iris, which grows well in our conditions. In addition, the varieties received from him multi-flowering, which is unusual for Japanese irises.

"Shiryukyo"

For example, variety ‘ Shiryukyo’ bears up to twelve buds in three-flowered rosettes, providing two to three weeks of flowering.

The color palette of pseudates is extremely diverse and differs from the palette of Japanese irises.

Among them there are creamy white (‘BayakuyanoKuni'), apricot, beige, lilac ( ‘ Tsukiyono’ ):

Lilac, but all of them are distinguished by a yellow signal on the halyards, framed by dark purple shadows, especially spectacular in the variety ‘ Kinshikou’:

These exotic flowers will make you remember at the height of summer the spring multicolor of steppe irises.

Yuri PIROGOV, photo by the author.

Dwarf iris: planting and care

The dwarf iris, in comparison with its tall “relatives”, is less demanding on conditions. But for the plant to decorate for a long time suburban area, it is important to know how to properly care for it.

Description of dwarf iris

This type of iris is divided into standard and miniature. The first grow up to 40 cm, and the second are no more than 20 cm. The leaves come from the roots and have a juicy green color. The color scheme of dwarfs is varied - yellow, purple, and lilac colors delight the eye.

Source: Depositphotos

Dwarf iris blooms profusely

The popularity of this variety is justified:

the plant is unpretentious in care;
tolerates drought well;
blooms in the 2nd year after planting and a couple of weeks earlier than tall irises;
distinguished by a large number of buds;
has decorative foliage that retains its attractiveness until late autumn.

On one iris bush many shoots grow, and each peduncle produces 2-3 flowers, so the plant blooms profusely. Depending on the weather, dwarf irises in middle lane Russia's begin to bloom in mid or late May. Flowering ends in mid-June.

Planting and caring for dwarf irises

To plant this flower, you should choose a spacious, sunny place. It is important to create good drainage - it will not allow moisture to stagnate and harm the root system. The crop can be planted in the ground in early to mid-spring, when the soil is already warmed by the sun.

Planting low-growing irises:

After choosing a site, you should dig the soil deeply.
The soil needs to be loosened and sand added to it. If the soil is acidic, you can add lime or ash.
Soak the cuttings in a solution of potassium permanganate for a couple of hours.
Dig the irises into the ground so that the root collar is above its surface.
For the first 5 days, irises should be watered abundantly, especially if it is very hot outside. A couple of hours after watering, you should loosen the soil.
You can mulch the soil around the plant with sand or pebbles.

Once planted, the plants require virtually no care. They easily tolerate a lack of moisture. To get more active budding, you can feed the flowers before flowering with potassium-phosphorus fertilizers. When the plant fades, the flower stalks should be cut off. At the end of the season, the crop needs to be trimmed. Once every 3-4 years it should be replanted.

Dwarf irises delight the eye with their variegated colors, which is why they are widely used in decorating suburban areas.

Bearded irises are the most watercolor perennials. The luxury of flowering and the unprecedented beauty of both shapes and colors, despite the limited flowering period, and not so simple cultivation, have long made them favorites in landscape design. But not all bearded irises can boast of this status. Low or dwarf varieties of bearded irises are undeservedly ignored. And it’s completely in vain: these plants will give a head start to their usual tall counterparts. After all, the possibilities of their use are not limited to flower beds and ridges, but also include rockeries and potted plants.

The only difference is the height

Dwarf bearded irises are limited in height to a maximum of 30-40 cm, although most often these crops will not exceed 20 cm. But despite such modest sizes, their flowers are no less bright and large. And their variety is no less than that of medium or tall irises. And even the tenderness of the petals, the much-loved “beard” and the abundance of flowers they have will not match their brothers. 2-3 flowers bloom on one peduncle, but the density of the bushes compensates for this with a large number of flowering shoots. The only difference is the height of the leaves and peduncles. This is a kind of miniature copy of ordinary bearded irises, while the “reduction” does not affect the flowers. But their endurance and unpretentiousness are much more pronounced. Small irises open up new and sometimes unexpected possibilities for garden design.

Garden dwarf bearded irises are divided into two categories of varieties:
Standard Dwarf Bearded (SDB)

Miniature Dwarf Bearded (MDB)

Key advantages of low-growing varieties:

they grow much faster and create spectacular bushes by the second year after planting;
dwarf irises bloom more abundantly and two weeks earlier than medium and tall bearded irises;
foliage miniature irises retains its beauty until the end of the season and is no less impressive than the best decorative foliage plants; places architectural accents.

Iris dwarf “Stitch Witch”.

They were bred only a little over a century ago on the basis of two natural types of irises - dwarf and squat. Thanks to selection and crossing with bearded varieties, they acquired flowering that is as spectacular as that of large bearded varieties, but retained their size, unpretentiousness and more attractive foliage. Conventionally, all miniature bearded irises are divided into miniature dwarf and standard dwarf. The latter produce flower stalks 10 cm higher and several flowers more.

The best varieties of low-growing bearded irises:

a very bright blue-violet variety “Adrian Taylor” with an unusual aroma;
wine, with a unique shade of “Lollipop” color;
purple-red with a blue beard variety “Ruby Contrast”;
melon-butter variety with a warm apricot tint of color and an orange beard “Tinkled Peach”;
“Pretty Cute” with pink-orange color and play of peach tones;
"Amsterdam" with a bright golden yellow color and brown spots;
“Boo” with snow-white upper petals and dark purple lower petals with white ruffles;
"Crystal Bright", whose snow-white color is highlighted with a bright yellow spot on the lower petals;
profusely colored and very unusual “Serenity Prayer” with a play of snow-white and light yellow, dark purple spots, emphasized by the pointed shape of the lower petals;
sunny yellow variety with orange buds “Sun Doll”

Low-growing bearded irises can be used to decorate:

flower beds, ridges and mixborders in the foreground;
for decorating the lawn with flowering and architectural groups;
in iridariums as the basis of compositions;
curbs and framing of paths and paths with temporary covering;
alpine slides and rockeries;
potted gardens and containers.

Dwarf irises in alpine gardens

In rocky gardens, even on the south side or among large boulders, low-growing bearded irises will not only not get lost, but will also feel comfortable. Due to their much less capriciousness, they adapt well to soil atypical for irises and much drier conditions. And how good they are against the background of stone chips and decorative filling! Even the most modest gravel or crumbs when planting miniature irises change beyond recognition and seem like an exclusive coating.

In rock gardens and rockeries, low-grade bearded irises seem like real shining treasures. Their large flowers immediately catch the eye and create luxurious accents. They combine effectively with most crops typical of rocky gardens. Small-leaved and flowering carpet-like ground covers from alyssum to aubrieta, inimitable dwarf shrubs and conifers - all of them only enhance the beauty of these crumbs. True, when planting irises you should be more careful than when planting bulbous ones: they can easily be crowded out by aggressive cushions and creeping plants, so you need to leave enough free space for irises.

Miniature irises in flower beds and mixed plantings

Low varieties of bearded irises are perfect for classic flower beds and ridges. It is believed that this is one of the most advantageous perennials for modern flower beds with decorative mulch or filling the soil with pebbles. The same laws apply here as when introducing mini-irises into rocky gardens - an advantageous revelation of the texture of the stone chips and the most vivid presentation of the beauty of the flowering of the irises themselves. In such flower beds, the beauty of each individual plant is revealed to the maximum, because the crops are located at a sufficient distance, and the beautiful mulch creates a luxurious background. But also in the foreground of ordinary flower beds and tents, as a border around flower arrangements they don't look any worse.

Potted mini irises

These plants, modest in size, but far from modest in the beauty of their flowering, grow well in separate containers. Low-growing varieties of bearded irises can be placed in decorative flower pots and small bowls, as well as in simple pots or balcony boxes. But they will look no worse in complex, combined compositions. Moreover, correct selection partners will allow beautifully flowering irises to appear in all their splendor.

The only thing needed to turn low irises into true container stars is good drainage. For these plants, you can only use containers with a good drainage hole, and drainage made of expanded clay or large shards should be laid at a height of at least 5 cm. The top must be covered non-woven material, and only then land.

Iris dwarf “Lesser Goldfinch”.

Simple conditions for abundant flowering

Low-growing bearded irises will bloom more colorfully the brighter and sunny place you choose for them. They are not afraid of even the south-oriented slopes of rock gardens - so feel free to plant them in the brightest areas of the garden and immediately refuse even light shade. As for the soil, they grow well in any high-quality, well-drained, loose-textured and non-acidic soil. Planting of low-growing irises is carried out according to the same rules as medium and tall varieties. Be careful when mulching the soil: mini-irises do not tolerate mulch in the form of organic matter, grass, tree bark, in a word, any plant materials. Suitable only for them protective layer from stone chips or sand.

Such irises are planted shallowly, placing the rhizome horizontally and only lightly covering it with soil so that the top of the rhizome remains level with the soil (only on sandy soil can they be buried 1-2 cm). Where the soil is damp or there is a risk of water stagnation, irises are planted on hills or in raised rows.

As for care, low-growing irises are easy to grow. All they need is one single feeding in the spring, which is best done before flowering begins. Using potassium-phosphorus fertilizers, you will give the plants a powerful boost and they will bloom profusely. Although today, to stimulate more abundant flowering, a standard scheme of 2-3 feedings for all irises is often used (nitrogen-potassium fertilizers in early spring, nitrogen-phosphorus fertilizers 2-3 weeks after the first feeding, and the third procedure is carried out only after full flowering mineral fertilizers). The rest of the care comes down to trimming the flower stalks after the colorful parade is over and cutting the leaves to a height of 10 cm at the end of the season.

They are separated every 3-4 years, from the end of July to September. For mini-irises, the leaves are cut at a level of 7 cm from the soil, and then the rhizomes are carefully dug out. When dividing, parts with 1-2 leaf rosettes and a sufficient bunch of roots are separated.

Partners for Dwarf Bearded Irises

Low-growing bearded irises go well with medium-sized garden plants. In number ideal partners they include a variety of carnations, and horned violet, and ornamental cereals, and dwarf woody plants, and ground covers. Their beauty is perfectly accentuated by aubrieta, alyssum, evergreen iberis, Dorfler's thyme, subulate phlox, myrtifolia spurge, gray and sheep's fescue, shaker grass, feather feather grass, seaside armeria, grass and blue-gray carnations, late tulip, common lumbago, mountain pine.

IN pot culture low-growing irises go well with juveniles, cat's foot, jaundice, and saxifrage.

In the second half of May, when the mass flowering of your favorite tulips ends, and the flowering time of peonies is just promising, dwarf bearded irises join the “rainbow of colors” of our gardens. This group of irises was obtained by crossing tall bearded irises with low-growing natural species. They have a more winter-hardy, hardy and unpretentious character, they bloom earlier and bloom more abundantly than their counterparts, and after flowering they better retain their decorative appearance.

Dwarf plants are divided into miniature (peduncle height - no more than 25 cm, number of flowers on a peduncle - from one to three) and standard (peduncle height - from 25 to 40 cm, number of flowers on a peduncle - from two to four). Despite the low peduncles, the flowers of standard dwarf irises are large - up to 7 cm in height and up to 12 cm in spread, while miniature ones have smaller flowers - up to 8 cm in spread.

"Iris" means "rainbow" in Greek. According to myths, the goddess Iris descended to people along the rainbow to convey to them the will of the gods.
Thanks to their rich palette of colors, dwarf irises are superior to their tall relatives. By planting them in the garden, within a year you will receive beautiful, well-grown, abundantly flowering clumps of a wide variety of shades. When selecting color range you can create clumps of one color, with sharp contrasts and smooth transitions of colors - it all depends on your taste preferences.

How to ensure abundant flowering?

The growing conditions for dwarf irises are the same as for their tall relatives. The most important thing is sun and good drainage. They should be planted in the most illuminated areas of the garden, even on southern slopes. Irises feel best when exposed to the sun all day, with a minimum exposure time of 6 hours. They will grow well in any cultivated, loose, neutral soil.

It is better to plant in July - September, but it can also be planted in spring. When planting, do not bury it, plant it flush with the soil so that part of the rhizome is exposed. You cannot mulch the soil with plant materials, only with sand.

Plantings should not be allowed to thicken. They grow quickly, so when planting, the distance between plants in a row should be at least 0.3 m, and between rows - 0.4 m. as a last resort, if you want to quickly achieve the effect of a dense green curtain, a distance of 0.1 m is acceptable. In this case, the plants will have to be planted earlier.

Plantings should not be allowed to thicken.

Our soils are quite fertile, but in the spring, before budding begins, you can fertilize once with fertilizers containing phosphorus and potassium. During the flowering process, dried buds should be removed; when the plant has finished blooming, cut off the flower stalks, and at the end of the season, cut off the leaves to a height of 10 cm.

Irises are heavily oppressed by weeds, so regular weeding is required.

How to understand the classification of bearded irises?

The varieties of bearded irises are very diverse, so their classification is quite difficult. The following division into groups has now been adopted.

1. Single color: upper petals and foils are the same color.
2. Two-tone: the upper petals and foils have different shades of the same color.
3. Iridescent: different shades smoothly transition into each other.
4. Bordered: The edges of the foils are edged with a border of a contrasting color.
5. Bicolor: The upper petals and foils have different colors.

Of the most beautiful views belonging to the group of standard dwarf irises, it should be noted:

● solid: dark purple Demon, beet red Mini Dynamo, dark purple Double Lament, brown red Little Buccaneer, marsh brown Galleon Gold, pink Hazel's Pink, lilac Little Dream, light blue Cry Baby, Sapphire Gem and Puppet, yellow Gingerbread Man and Laced Lemonade;
● iridescent Chanted – pink with a salmon tint;
● two-tone with darker fouls: brown Little Chestnut and purple Bright Button;
● two-tone Hammered Copper – beige top, copper foils, multi-colored.

Varieties of miniature irises:

● Wink – white, blue spots on fouls;
● Button Box – purple, dark spots on foils;
● Skip Stitch – white, purple pattern on top, purple border along the edge of the fouls;
● Wow Brown - two-color bordered: yellow top, brown foils, yellow border along the edge;
● What Again is two-tone with a blue top and orange foils with brown touches; This variety belongs to the remontant (re-blooming) varieties.

Irises in landscape design

Dwarf irises are widely used in creating the most exquisite site design: in mixed plantings and iridariums, in rock gardens and against the backdrop of fill - everywhere these flowers delight the eye, creating bright accent and highlighting the beauty and individuality of other elements.

In mixed plantings, they look good in the foreground in mixborders and classic flower beds, they will create borders and borders, and will perfectly decorate internal paths and paths on the site.
Miniature bearded irises have no equal in the design of areas with backfill. Even modest gravel looks very impressive against the backdrop of exotic flowers and bright, beautiful foliage.

Dwarf irises are also good in a classic iridarium, both monochrome and with clumps different colors. Asymmetrical iridariums with different-sized, chaotically scattered multi-colored curtains look best. The borders of curtains are usually filled with gravel. Such small clumps, both mono-colored and mixed, will highlight the beauty of the emerald lawn.

Dwarf irises are also good in a classic iridarium, both monochrome and with clumps of different colors.

irises in tree trunks