Hi Tamara!
Only just finished reading through this thread and wanted to say 'hi' and that I really like your choices!
I have a mix of grey/lavender/lilac and brown(ish) irises (and other plants) combined in a bed, so I think your colour combination works quite well.
Looking forward to seeing more pictures!
PS: I usually remove brown leaves before planting, but only if the are easy to remove (I don't pull on them too hard because I do not want them to break and leave little bits of the leaf behind to rot) and I agree with the 'leave the roots on' advice!
Happy planting!
