Dutch Irises: beauties from bulbs – plant some now!

Jon Hammond.

Dutch Irises add elegance wherever they are planted.

Fall is the typical time to plant bulbs in the Tehachapi Mountains, and it is an autumn delight to purchase an array of bulbs and plant them in your yard or in containers, imagining how beautiful they'll look when they awaken in spring and provide you with lovely flowers.

People typically think of bulbs like tulips and daffodils, but there are many others to decorate your garden and thus your life. One great choice is the Dutch Iris, which is known for its gorgeous flowers, straight stems and easy of growing.

Unlike Bearded Irises, which grow from larger rhizomes and are best planted in summer so that they can have a good root system established before the winter dormancy period, Dutch Irises grow from smaller bulbs and do well when planted in the fall like other bulbs.

Dutch Irises are hybrids that were developed in Holland from Spanish Irises, and they have much narrower green leaves than the broader, flat spear-like foliage of Bearded Irises. Each flower typically has six alternating portions: three upright segments known as "standards" and three downward-pointing sections known as "falls."

Originally most Dutch Irises flowers were mostly blue with some yellow accents on the three falls, like some of those pictured, but now there is a wealth of choices, including yellow, white, red, purple and more. The blossoms work very well as cut flowers to place in your favorite vases, and Dutch Irises are very popular with commercial florists.

Dutch Iris bulbs look like small pointed onions, and you plant them from 3-5 inches deep in well-drained soil – "They don't like to keep their feet wet," as the old gardening expression goes, so they wouldn't do as well in heavy clay soil. You should water them after you plant them, to settle the soil around their roots.

With their delightful flowers and elegant slender leaves, Dutch Irises look great wherever you plant them, but they seem especially well-suited to rock gardens or near pond features. You can plant them in groups of the same color, or you can put them in mixed plantings with assorted colors for more of a "natural bouquet" effect. It is good to place them in the proximity of summer-flowering plants so you won't have garden gaps when the Dutch Irises go dormant. Planting the bulbs in underground wire baskets, or in patio containers are potential solutions to gopher problems.

Botanical name: Iris reticulata

Perennial Bulb

Starting: Bulbs.

Size: 15 to 25 inches.

Exposure: Full sun, partial shade.

Watering: Weekly.

Jon Hammond.

Originally they were typically blue, but now there are more color choices.