Florida Garden Iris

Many years ago I researched which Louisiana Iris might be suitable for my Florida garden. I'm sure there are more types than what I have, but this one was what I started with. I ordered 'Sinfonietta' from an online source and 6 bare root plants were mailed to me.

As I do with most brand new plants that I don't have full confidence planting, I placed them in two different locations in my old garden. When we moved to the house next door last summer of course the Louisiana Irises were among the list of plants I wanted to be sure to bring with me.

This new garden has more space in more areas with more sunshine. I just said more three times in one sentence. You get the picture right? Louisiana irises can take full sun. In my garden each patch gets between 3-6 hours. Which seems to be plenty.

To get 'Sinfonietta' started here (after digging/dividing from my old patches) I cut off all but about 4" of greenery, knocked off the soil and planted them in three different locations here. Their greenery perks up in the winter season. They have adapted well in this new garden. Blooms started right on time in mid to late March. One of the locations bloomed later than the other two and still has a few flowers while the others are finished for the year. Yes, it's a quick bloom time. But, oh, what a beautiful display while it last.


For more on irises you might also like:
Irises That Won't Shrink From Florida's Humidity
More Irises for Florida
A Must-Have Iris
The Irises Have It
Louisiana Iris

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More on Irises for Florida

This petite beauty is a giant.

Giant Apostles' Iris Neomarica caerulea 'Regina'. Giant must refer to the height of its foliage because the small flowers are only about 2.5-3" across when fully opened.

Wider than typical iris blades stand a solid 3 feet tall in vertical formation of bluish-green foliage.

Each bud takes its time in the morning hours to unfold its way into full glory. Every curled up petal is just as stunning as the final display.

Exotic features with specks, stripes, spots, veins, depth, texture, purple-blue, brown, white, lavender will put a song in your heart along the way.

Although it repeatedly blooms on the same stalk each one only lasts a day. It will 'walk' as the blade becomes heavy bending toward the ground and roots to form another plant. Mine are growing effortlessly without any special attention in filtered light.

This one gets me all gushy over it so I've photographed it numerous times which you can see here for more.

Neomarica caerulea 'Gracilis' is very different in stature from 'Regina' with much shorter, glossy, bright green foliage. The bloom time is similar as well as the walking habit to produce new plants. I like using this one to fill in spaces where caladiums will come up in between. That way there is something green growing in the space when the caladiums fade away.

Neomarica longifolia has very different characteristics from 'Gracilis' and 'Regina'. It has dull almost ripply or puckery foliage at heights of about 2' and the yellow flower is smaller. It can tolerate heavy shade and will walk to produce nice size clumps that bloom almost all year long. This is the newest one to my garden passed along to me from my sweet elderly neighbor.

I couldn't leave out the trusty African Irises even though I recently featured them in their very own blog post which you can read here if you missed it. Love them! Use them in planting beds or in containers.

Which iris only blooms for a couple of weeks (at best) and decided to pop out a few days early to greet the beginning of spring?

Louisiana Iris 'Sinfonietta' in all her brilliant bluish-purple array. I've gone on and on about my admiration for her short lived blooms over the years. Be sure to notice the bee butts as you scroll down through the photos. The little cuties crawl in and out moving around the flower until they fly to the next.





















You can get all the scoop on her here and read what I've written in past posts if you'd like more growing information on Louisiana Iris.

Which irises are you growing in Florida? Or wherever you are?

Irises that Won't Shrink from Florida's Humidity

Louisiana Iris 'Sinfonietta' was one of my first attempts at bare root planting. Six of them were ordered via Internet in winter 2008. Three were placed in the back and three were placed in the perimeter of the edible garden. It was not known how well they would do in my garden. The bright green foliage is every bit of 3 feet tall and sails through our winters adding structure and vertical loveliness all year long. As early spring bloomers they are welcomed cheerfully emerging shortly after the winter months. Mine are located in partial sun but they will do well in full sun also. A very deep blue with flashes of green-yellow centers they have turned out to be a good choice for my garden. Bumbles travel around from petal to petal burrowing deeply for nectar.




My one and only complaint is that the blooming period doesn't last long enough. From bud to finish the display of this non-bearded iris is only about a week... maybe two.
Rhizomes are easily divided for transplanting and sharing. From those six original plants there are likely 50 planted in the gardens now. A supremely Florida-Friendly iris the Dietes iridioides 'African Iris' or 'Fortnight Lily' blooms in flushes from spring to fall. It is a cold hardy stalwart here being divided and utilized in almost every garden area to some extent. I've written extensively about this pure white, faithful iris many times on this blog. Indulge me please while I notice every single nuance of this favorite beauty. Don't recognize it yet? Every fine distinction of this flower is exquisite. Catching them as a new bud gradually opens each morning is a lesson in artistry. The final outcome of petals spread wide to the heavens somewhat disguises the multitude of hues this flower possesses. Tightly held morning buds of golden peach tones give no hint of the finite degrees of bluish-purple details about to be revealed.
Thick, almost velvety petals come alive as the minutes pass.

In this stage of opening the varied degrees and tinges of every color can be fully appreciated.




Regina. A regal name for a durable Florida plant that can take our heat and humidity. Neomarica Caerulea 'Regina' Apostle's Iris A close cousin to Regina, Neomarica Gracilis is borne on foliage much shorter and more chartreuse in color and purist-white petals are exchanged with Regina's purple beauties. She's a lovely specimen all on her own. She was passed along to me from a dear gardening friend.
Which makes her cherished and admired. Forever hugs to you, KH.

Both are walking irises and said to bloom from spring throughout summer. In my garden spring seems to be their best season. I'm going to watch closer for summer blooms but I think that might be a stretch in the available information.

Irises are beloved by most gardeners. Which ones are you growing?

Spring Swells with Expectation

Don't you just love to walk out in the garden early morning to see the sunlight streaming through from above! Somehow the sight of it evokes thankfulness and so much appreciation for God's stunning handiwork.

The light and the reflections and the sense of peace do not go unnoticed. It is beneficial to take a moment's pause, calm the task-driven brain, breathe these moments in ... reflect on gratitude.

I happen to be one of those rare Florida natives that finds the color green discovered in foliage equally satisfying as a large dose of color from a stunning mass of flowers. It truly excites me to see varying heights, forms, and textures, in what I consider the pillars of the garden. Those beauties that faithfully remain no matter the varying elements.

The ones that give all they've got season after season and ask for very little in return.

The numbers of them are increasing around here. Because they shined right through the freezes we had these past few winters. They don't shrink back through the droughts of spring and perform without a hitch in the rainy season of summer.

Spring came early this year. It has reminded me of "normal" Florida Februarys of old. Truly beautiful, mild weather our late-winter has turned out to be.

The garden has responded to our warm, sunny days with life abundantly bulging forth in every direction.

So on this cheery morning with camera in hand I settled in to one of the most relaxing and all consuming hobbies I have... taking photo after photo of vignettes in the morning garden.

With each click of the camera I noticed more and more new buds/growth and bright blooms and leafing out of crepe myrtles.

I just kept thinking about how life in the spring garden swells with each passing day in expectation of life's eternal timeclock ticking on into summer. And so it goes...

A jubilation that can almost be felt on this brisk early morning.

Even the alocasias are waking up from winter's slumber early.

There are more to come but the first of them are feeding my lust for foliage!

And the red bananas are quickly pushing out new leaves with the dark coloration I adore.

The first self-sown zinnia flowers are bursting forth already.

Spring is full of promise.

Plants don't require a lot of extra attention when the principle of "right plant; right place" is practiced.

The helpful pollinators are actively at work each day enjoying a chemical-free environment that invites them to nectar freely.

Their sweet, buzzing music is often the only sounds to be heard in the stillness.

These are the days when being outside every minute of the day isn't enough.

We find ourselves wishing the fleeting hours would last and last.

And maybe if darkness wouldn't fall we could capture this serene state of the spring garden and never let it go.

Or better yet ... an exercise in thankfulness for the moments we have is in order. And I think I'll contemplate making the VERY most of each one while I have it.

Happy spring! and Happy Gardening!
Meems