Iris Fall Fiesta

The 'Fall Fiesta' German Iris, also known as the 'Fall Fiesta' tall bearded iris, has large, fragrant, coppery orange-brown flowers with a red beard. This variety will charm you with its warm and contrasting colours. It has vigorous growth and quickly forms beautiful clumps. Perfect for borders, beds and slopes.

Iris 'Fall Fiesta' is a deciduous rhizomatous perennial plant with upright tufts of foliage in spring. It belongs to the Iridaceae family. It is one of the many cultivars that have been bred for centuries, with its disputed origins debated around the number of chromosomes of its potential ancestors. It is established that Bearded Irises have European origins. 'Fall Fiesta' reaches 90 cm (35in) high when in bloom, and the clump spreads indefinitely over time, with the central rhizomes becoming bare as the outer rhizomes take over. 'Fall Fiesta' is elegant and upright, with dense tufts of long sword-shaped, glaucous green and highly veined leaves. Floral stems appear in April and bloom from the top down in May. The colour is enhanced by the silky texture of the petals and sepals, as is typical of Garden Irises. It is worth noting that the flowers are also very fragrant.

Do you have a sunny, warm location, relatively dry in summer?
This is the ideal spot for Irises! They do not thrive in shade and will not flower. They are hardy and do not require winter protection. Well-drained, relatively dry soil is perfectly suitable, even dry and limestone. Excessively moist soil can lead to rhizome rot. Plant them from July to September to allow the rhizomes enough time to grow and develop new roots before winter. They should be planted as soon as they are purchased for the best results. Plan to divide the irises every 4 years to provide them with fresh soil. They have vigorous growth and require space to develop and bloom well. Plant them with appropriate spacing for the size and vigour of the variety: approximately 34-50 cm (13-20in) for tall irises. In a monochrome planting, the rhizomes should be planted in a staggered pattern. For a mix of colours, plant them in groups of several plants of the same variety. Always consider the direction of rhizome growth by arranging them in a star shape, with buds and leaves facing outward, and spacing them well away from other varieties to allow room for growth.

Planting

Dig a hole that is wide and deep enough. Create a small mound of soil in the hole, place the rhizome and spread out the roots on top of it. Cover the roots with soil but leave the rhizome slightly exposed at the soil surface. It should not be planted in a dip (risk of rot), so anticipate that the soil will settle and the iris will sink. In clay or damp soil, the rhizome should even be left elevated on a slight mound. To ensure the soil clings to the roots, lightly firm the soil and water abundantly after planting. Water 2-3 times if necessary until the plant is established.

Maintenance:

Keep the soil free from weeds by lightly hoeing, taking care not to damage the rhizomes or roots. Weeds create shade for the irises, retain moisture (leading to rot), and attract slugs. Also, remove dry leaves. If they are diseased (red-bordered spots of heterosporiosis), burn them. Remove faded flowers.

The vegetable garden can be planted with a few clumps or borders of irises for cutting.