Iris germanica Buvard - Bearded Iris

Iris germanica 'Buvard' is a mid-season garden Iris that will seduce enthusiasts with its unusual colours. Its flowers, beautifully ruffled, display a delightful blend of pastel shades, enhanced at the heart by the beautiful coral glow of the finely spurred beards.  An indefinable colour that is difficult to describe other than through a photograph. This very beautiful flowering is carried by fairly short stems, less sensitive to the wind, but well provided with buds. A lovely creation for collectors of large iris! 

The 'Buvard' Iris is a rhizomatous perennial plant that develops in spring in elegantly upright clumps, with its foliage disappearing in winter. It belongs to the Iridaceae family. It is one of the many cultivars obtained over the centuries, whose controversial origin is discussed around the number of chromosomes of potential ancestors. It should be noted that Garden Irises have European origins. They are plants that thrive in limestone soils and crave sunlight, with their rhizomes needing to 'cook' in summer in order to bloom. A minimum of 6 hours of sunlight per day is traditionally required.

'Buvard' is a rather low variety, reaching a height of 75cm (30in) when in bloom. Its floral stem carries 7 flower buds. The clump will spread indefinitely over time, with the central rhizomes thinning out in favour of the outer ones. The foliage consists of long and wide sword-shaped leaves, of a slightly glaucous green, with parallel veins running through them. In April, floral stems appear which will produce beautiful, rounded, gracefully formed flowers in May-June, bordered by fine and tight undulations, blooming from the top down to the lower branches. They consist of 3 upright petals of a mauve colour infused with smoky cream at the base and centre, 3 beige sepals bordered with pale lavender blue, 3 long coral red beards with cream tips, 3 lavender-pale pink styles, and 3 stamens. Each flower measures 11cm (4in) in height and width. The colour of this plant is, as always with Garden Irises, magnified by the thick and iridescent texture of the floral pieces.

Obtained by Cayeux, 2015. ('Secret Rites' X 'Macaron')

To accompany irises, choose plants to associate with them based on their needs (exposure, soil...), their vegetation that is "respectful" of irises (low plants or light foliage, non-competitive plants), and their decorative complementarity (appearance, flowering date). For example, Gauras will provide little shade to the irises and will keep the faded iris bed attractive all summer long. California Poppies and Love-in-a-Mist will be satisfied with a dry soil in summer, just like irises. Perennial geraniums, salvias, and Libertia also accompany irises very well. Slopes, the base of small trees with light foliage, and terraced edges will be stabilized by a dense planting of old varieties that can remain in place and require little care. If the goal is more decorative and access for care is possible, one can choose more modern varieties, for example intermediates that will be less likely than tall varieties to be literally flattened by wind and rain.

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