Martin Fish makes displays from elegant Iris reticulata
The potted bulbs of I. reticulata make a colourful indoor display
Irises come in many forms and are grown for their lovely delicate flowers. The range of different species means you can have iris in flower from winter through until summer. They grow from bulbs, rhizomes or fleshy roots and sizes range from just a few inches tall to towering plants up to 1.5m (5ft).
The flowers are all basically the same and consist of three main petals, known as falls, with three smaller inner petals that are referred to as standards. A pretty little iris in flower at this time of the year is I. reticulata, which is grown from bulbs. These hardy plants grow to around 15cm (6in) tall and can be naturalised in the garden in well-drained soil or planted in containers for a colourful display in February and March. There are many different hybrids to choose from, including ‘Joyce’, with deep skyblue flowers, ‘Harmony’, in royal blue, ‘Cantab’, with pale blue blooms, white ‘Natascha’ and ‘J.S. Dijt’ in purple. The bulbs are usually planted in autumn and each bulb will produce one or two stems of flowers. Through late winter it’s good to be able to bring some flowers into the house from the garden, but the flowers of I. reticulata soon wilt when cut. To get around this, the bulbs can be displayed in pots so you can enjoy them for longer. Simply pot several small pre-grown pots of iris from the garden centre into a decorative pot to form a clump. Moss from the garden can be used to cover the compost and give a natural finish and I insert some short stems of dogwood to add height and structure to the pot. The woody stems also help to support the delicate flower stems. For maximum flower life, stand the pot in a cool, bright room or conservatory. When they’ve finished flowering, the plants can be planted out into the garden to grow and flower again next year.