Right now I have most of my irises planted around the outer edge of my pond and some by the driveway. I am getting a box full for postage from a very generous ATP member and want to stat an iris bed. Do any of you have beds with "just irises"? What other plants do you have in the beds with them if any? Would love to hear some ideas or even better see some pics!

My beds just have iris. Mostly because I haven't had time to figure out companion plants that work in the heat of NC. There are several on this site though that have lovely mixed beds, like Paul, and Mary Ann has peonies with her iris I believe (something I really want to do). I'll have to see if I have any full bed shots of the (just) iris in bloom....

Well, I guess every ones taste's differ, but almost all of mine are "just iris". I do have a "border" of early spring bulbs in some of the beds. Rita, on the other hand has , her iris bed outlined in tulips and daffies, and had lilies inter-planted among the iris. We also have one area that has turned into a "mixed perennial bed" iris, daylilies ,lilies , sweet rocket, and daisies.....Arlyn

I have several that are mixed beds, and some that are just irises. If I ever completely re-do the beds, I think I'd make the mixed bed a bit differently then I did the first time. For examle I'd probably put the day lilies and lilies in the back half so I could mulch it, and then have the irises up front where I could get at them to weed them.
In this bed I have day lilies, lilies, spider wart, spiria, and clematis

This is the fence row that I would like to re-do with the daylilies in the back and the iris in the front.

These lilies start to bloom when the iris are done, and before the day lilies





After these lilies are done blooming, then the day lilies are in full bloom, so you have some color all summer long.
I also have 3 long beds of just irises, and they are easier to maintian, but they are just leaves for a good part of the year.

Oh my!

What a beautiful garden you have Tom! I like your plan of having flowers all summer.

Wonderful!!!

Since this is an iris bed thread - I have a question for all of you. How close do you plant your new iris? Do you keep them all a foot or so apart, or do you bring them closer together then divide more often? My front bed is slightly less than a foot and they are filling the space quickly, but my back garden was planted a foot apart and looks sparse. It is under a tree, so I was thinking of crowding them in a bit more since the increases are slower. What is your opinion?

Oh, Tom, what a beautiful garden you have!! Thanks for posting the photos.

I have some beds that are all irises and some mixed beds. Most of the irises that are named are in the beds exclusively planted in irises. This allows me to water and feed to their needs and not be neglectful of plants requiring more attention. I usually allow a lot of room for my irises to grow. I do not like to dig that often and some will be content and bloom well for five years if given room to grow. Once you get to know an iris you know which one to put in a bed by itself and which ones you will be thinning every year. I guess it is a matter of preference. I do not like my irises to run together where I cannot tell which one is which but gardens that I visit where they are thick and in bloom are just breathtaking.

I roughly gave them 24" (+\-) in some beds. While in another, I gave them less room. As the collection grows, the space between seems to get smaller and smaller.

That's why it's good to know if it's increases slowly, or fast. Right now, I have a few very slow irises with plenty of room around them. I plan to move them to a tighter bed and plant faster growing irises in their place.

I have beds dedicated exclusively to iris and also have some in mixed beds. I lost some roses in a front yard bed and am planting a few clumps of iris there for color just before the roses start to bloom. I plant everything for immediate effect so I crowd things......also I want one of every cultivar so with limited space I squeeze them in. OCD.....here. My rule is that a garden is a personal thing so do what you want. If it doesn't work get out your shovel.

Paul2032 said: My rule is that a garden is a personal thing so do what you want. If it doesn't work get out your shovel.

I want that as a garden sign.

I want one of everything too.

All great ideas!

Tom, those pictures are gorgeous!

I think I am leaning towards an all iris bed but just wanted to get some ideas of what others also planted with them.

Beautiful garden, Tom!

All my iris have been early. I dunno what is in my new boxes yet. I will have to go through and catalogue when they bloom so I can get some bloom time variation. Since the gardens were here when I bought the house, I keep unearthing more perennials. I am an experienced perennial gardener and knew most everything by its foliage. My lawn is full of Campanula leaves, Yarrow and Violets. For years, I have advertised free plants on Craigslist and given away 1/2 the garden on a regular basis. It is just this year I have become enthralled with Lilies and Iris. I used to just have the kind you collect on roadsides and old cow fields. So, I just started making the Iris Circles in the lawn.

When I am planting an all iris bed, I have been placing them at 18 inches apart. Seems to work OK, but I have to thin some after the second or third year. I have placed some closer at times, but then have to move them soon after.

Cat -- my main Iris bed (Iris Lane) has a center line of lemon lilies, with a peony bush in the center of every 16-foot section. The Irises are planted in front of, and in back of, this center line.

So -- first the Irises bloom, and generally the peonies at the same time. Just about the time that the Irises are finishing up, the lemon lilies start to bloom. Between it all, I usually have flowers blooming from April through July. Here's a couple of pics to give you an idea of it.

Iris Lane in full Iris bloom:


Iris Lane in lily bloom:


I also have some dianthus tucked in there, here and there, for some additional ground color. They bloom when they bloom.

Wow, That is very nice Mary Ann!

Tom -- I love your mixed bed in front of your house -- it's beautiful!!

Which Iris is it in the front section, that is two-toned purple?

Also -- love your lilies!!

Thanks Cat. It was years in the making -- and just about destroyed by one bad winter followed by one bad spring.

Well it sure looks beautiful in those pictures!