Velvely curly iris amazes us with its beauty, multicolor. This is a perennial plant, it is frost-resistant, tolerates winter well, is quite unpretentious. Even a novice gardener can grow irises; planting and care in the open field for these flowers is not particularly difficult, does not take much time. They bloom for about 2 months, and some species in the fall.
- Irises - varieties with photos and names, plant species
- When to replace irises, how to do it correctly
- Planting or transplanting irises in spring
- Meaning the iris flower
Iris is a very beautiful flower that adorns our flower beds in late spring or early summer. The literal translation of the name of the flower from the Greek - "rainbow".Residents of central Russia call it "killer".And I, like many residents of Kuban, call him "cockerel".Never thought about why - cockerel. And then somehow she looked at a lonely bush from the side - she saw that straight, sharp leaves growing like a fan very much resemble a cocky cocky tail, and a flower towering above tail leaves resembles a proudly raised cock head with a beautiful comb, a beard as ifThis photo:
Love it. Although it blooms for a short time, but look at how beautiful the flower garden is with its blooming irises! 
Moreover, even before or after flowering, the pointed leaves are very decorative.
Ideal this flower, as a border plant. 
Garden irises multiply either vegetatively or by seed. Seed propagation is used mainly for crossing varieties, in this way flowers can be seen in the second or third year after planting. Vegetative method( division of the roots) gives us the opportunity to admire the flowering in a year, and it is suitable for varietal species and for wild.
Irises - varieties with photos and names, plant species
To date, there are about 250 species of this flower. Types and varieties of irises, which are popular in Russia, have about 20 items. They are grown in squares, parks, used for arranging compositions of landscape design, decorate country plots, local areas. 
Siberian Iris This flower prefers sunny, windproof places with drained soil. Some species, for example, Siberian irises like penumbra. The vast majority actively grow and develop on light sandy loams. If your site is heavy, moist clay soil, then before planting the roots it is recommended to dilute it with peat or sand. Marsh varieties of irises, on the contrary, prefer moist lowland soils.
Bearded irises are very popular with gardeners. 
On the lower petals of the flower( in the middle) there is a soft bristle - “beard”, due to which it got its name. These irises can be tall( reach more than 70 cm), medium strong( up to 70 cm), short( no more than 40 cm).Today, many varieties, varieties of bearded iris have been bred, they have a wonderful aroma, differ in a variety of colors.
Iris Bevelderbest 
Iris Baltic Sy 
Iris Acoma German Iris - the same bearded iris, or rather, its most frequently encountered subspecies. The most popular for garden cultivation are Bewilderbest( colorful multicolor coloring, curly petals), Baltic Sea( juicy blue color with dark veins), Acoma( corrugated, sky blue coloring).
Siberian Iris In our regions, the Siberian Iris is very popular, the color range of which ranges from light blue to deep purple hue. Also a lot of new color combinations are cultivated, the most popular varieties here are: “Snow Queen”( white), grandiflora “Imperial Opal”( lavender), “Butter And Cream”( creamy yellow), “Strawberry Fair”( raspberry).Most Siberian varieties have no flavor.
The Russian variety grows in low dense groups, the plant itself is low, it blooms profusely, the flower of the iris is not large. It tolerates drought, is widely used for registration of alpine slides, curbs.
A Japanese( xiphoid) variety, also known as Kempflera, is distinguished by particularly large flowers whose diameter reaches 25 cm. For the northern regions, frost-resistant species have been developed: purple-white Nessa-No-Mai, pale lilac Solveig, ink, blue-violet "Vasily Alferov".
Iris Marsh Iris Marsh differs from its tribesmen in that it prefers a moist environment. It grows well near artificial ponds or reservoirs, most of the colors of this species are distinguished by all shades of yellow. The most popular ones with us are: Terry Flore Pleno, white yellow Golden Queen, pale yellow Umkirch.
Iris Spuria Sporia varieties have a very unusual flower shape, more like orchids. These are frost-resistant and drought-resistant varieties of irises. The most popular types are: corrugated, lemon-colored “Lemon Touch”, purple-black with gold “Stella Irene”, dark-purple with a bronze centerpiece “Transfiguration”, corrugated cream-white “Popped Corn”.
↑ to content ↑When replanting irises, how to do it correctly
In order for plants not to lose their decorative effect, they need to be replanted every 6-7 years, individual varieties need 3-4 years. Rhizome division is the most acceptable option for this case. Planting, as well as transplanting, should be carried out during the intensive development of the root system of plants. This period begins 15-20 days after the end of the flowering phase. It is necessary to catch the moment when the beginnings of the roots are just beginning to form. Since the young root buds are very fragile, they can be easily damaged, but if they have already managed to “tangle”, then it is better to wait until the beginning of September. By this time, the roots become fibrous structure, lose their fragility.
The roots extracted from the soil are gently washed, divided into fragments, removed problem areas, disinfected with potassium permanganate solution( Maxim fungicide is also suitable).After this, the rhizomes should be dried in the sun. To reduce the consumption of moisture the leaves need to be shortened, 8-10 cm left will be enough. The received planting material can be stored for no more than 10-14 days, only in a dry environment, at room temperature. Moisture roots rot and die.
To be sure that the irises will not die with the onset of winter, they should be planted no later than the end of September. For greater reliability for the winter, you can cover the plants with a special covering material or a layer of sand( about 8-10 cm).
Landing is done this way: a hole is made, earth or sand is poured at the bottom, like a small mound, a spine is put on it under a slight slope. At the same time, the leaves should “look” towards the south( for proportional development of the plant in the future).After the hole is filled with soil, watered. 
As for care, you should not worry about winter-hardy varieties - they comfortably tolerate wintering in open ground. After the irises ottsvetut, they are less watered, and with the onset of November( in each region, the period of the onset of frosts) cover the dry leaves or coniferous fir branches. In the Kuban irises for the winter do not cover.
Delicate varieties in the middle lane are still recommended to dig for the winter. It is necessary to wait until the leaves of the iris completely dry, then save the roots in a dry room, which is regularly ventilated. When spring comes, the soil warms up to 10 degrees Celsius, and it is possible to replant.
содерж to content ↑Planting or transplanting irises in spring
Planting stock harvested from autumn is planted in open ground by the end of March and the beginning of April. For this, the soil is prepared in advance: dug up, loosened, some alert gardeners recommend sifting it in addition. You can also fertilize the land or make compost. Digging small pits - 10 cm depth will be enough. At the bottom there is a small mound, the root is laid on it, after which the hole is covered with earth and watered. 
Make sure that the distance between the holes of tall varieties is not less than 50 cm, in medium growth - 20 cm, in dwarf varieties - 15 cm. As mentioned above, care for these plants is simple, only moderate watering is required( especially duringbudding).Usually the irises are watered when the soil around the plant becomes very dry. Fertilizers can be applied only in spring, when the soil is prepared for planting. In some cases, you can add potash-phosphorus fertilizer under the root of the plant during its growth. When irises bloom, they can not be fertilized in any case.
содерж to content ↑The meaning of the flower of iris
Different countries interpret the meaning of the flower of iris in their own way. For example, in Japan, this flower symbolizes courage and military spirit, because even the shape of the leaves itself resembles a sword. In Christians, the image of a flower is associated with compassion: Flemish painters, depicting the image of the Virgin Mary, painted irises and lilies near her. The ancient Greek goddess Irida walked on a rainbow to bring people the message from the gods. From the Greek language, the translation of the name of the flower will mean “rainbow”, this has already been mentioned above.
The coat of arms of the city of Florence even now depicts irises as a symbol of prosperity. And in Russia, this flower earlier( and even now) was called an iris, from the word "braid" hinting at its narrow, sharp leaves. Today, these beautiful flowers symbolize respect, good intentions, assurance of friendship. Without fear they can be given to everyone, they have a good message, a positive meaning.
Irises look impressive along with other colors of bright colors, decorate any flower bed, give charm to even the simplest part. Irises are diverse in their magnificence and undemanding, planting and care in the open field does not constitute special cares for the summer resident. This is exactly the case when, with minimal labor costs, you can enjoy a great result for almost the entire summer.
Dwarf Iris 
Iris Blue Magic 
African Iris Dietes 
