Iris germanica Aigue Marine -Bearded Iris

The Iris germanica ‘Aigue Marine’ is a remarkable garden iris variety distinguished by its flowers of a very pure sky blue, a crystalline colour barely interrupted by discreet pale yellow beards with white tips. Well-tiered along sturdy stems, the moderately undulate corollas have an attractive appearance. This fairly vigorous plant grows quickly, offering a long mid-season flowering and good performance in beds. This iris makes a strong impact in sunny spring borders.

The Iris germanica ‘Aigue Marine’ belongs to the Iridaceae family. It is a cultivar from the tall bearded irises group obtained in France in 1938 by Ferdinand Cayeux, from the cross-breeding between the 'Mado' and 'President Pilkington' varieties. 
The Iris germanica species from which this cultivar originates is a natural hybrid between the Iris pallida and Iris variegata native to the Mediterranean region. This perennial ihas naturalised in many temperate regions of Europe, particularly on dry and sunny soil, sometimes along paths or on banks.
The Iris 'Aigue Marine' has an upright clump habit, the plant reaches approximately 85 cm in height when in flower with a spread of 45 cm. Its growth is moderately fast, with optimal flower production after 2 to 3 years of cultivation. 
The Iris ‘Aigue Marine’'s flowers are large, measuring 10 to 12 cm in diameter. They consist of three upright inner petals and three outer trailing tepals of an iridescent sky blue, adorned with pale yellow beards and white tips. Each sturdy, sparsely ramified flower stem can bear on average 9 to 10 flower buds that bloom in succession over 3 to 4 weeks. This flowering occurs between May and June, in the middle of the iris season.  The foliage is deciduous, composed of sword-shaped, flattened, slightly curved leaves arranged in a fan. They measure 30 to 50 cm long and about 3 to 4 cm wide, with a glaucous green hue. The root system consists of horizontal rootstocks, shallow, spreading laterally to form new growth points. The clump spreads over the soil without theoretical limit, with the central rootstocks gradually dying off in favour of new peripheral ones.

To accompany irises, choose low-growing plants or those with light foliage, minimally competitive, that won't risk smothering or shading them. The Iris ‘Aigue Marine’ invites itself into the garden in poetic scenes. It looks wonderful in a large sunny border with other pastel irises like 'Blushing Pink' (pink) and 'Immortality' (pure white). In a flowerbed, it can also be paired with the peony ‘Sarah Bernhardt’, with ground-cover hardy geraniums or with the iris ‘Storm Center’, whose very dark violet petals create a magnificent play of light and shadow. These combinations highlight its crystalline hue while respecting its needs: full sun, well-drained soil, and an atmosphere of a natural yet well-tended garden. 

The vegetable garden can be enhanced with a few clumps or borders of irises, as it is also the place dedicated to growing cut flowers.