Iris Vieilles Vignes - Tall Bearded Iris

Iris 'Vieilles Vignes' is a garden Iris with a refined colouration, in a soft and warm range. Its large, thick textured flowers are all frilly on the edges, enhancing the orange-yellow of the petals and the precious purple-brown veining of the sepals. A rather rare colour palette, enhanced by bright orange beards. The tall flowering stems are superb in the garden alongside pink, mauve or sky-blue varieties. A recent first-rate creation!

'Vieilles Vignes' Iris is a rhizomatous perennial plant that develops in spring in elegantly upright clumps, with foliage disappearing in winter. It belongs to the Iridaceae family. It is one of the many cultivars obtained over 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 thrive in chalky soils and require plenty of sunlight, with their rhizomes needing to 'cook' in summer to be able to flower. A minimum of 6 hours of sunlight per day is generally required.

'Vieilles Vignes' will reach a height of 95 cm (37in) when in bloom, with several buds per stem. It is a mid-season variety. The clump will spread indefinitely over time, with the central rhizomes thinning out in favour of the outer rhizomes. The foliage consists of long and wide sword-shaped leaves, a slightly glaucous green crossed by parallel veins. Floral stems appear in April and produce a few large flowers in May, frilly on the edges, blooming from the top to the lower branches. They consist of 3 frilly upright petals, light orange-yellow with a paler border, dominating 3 slightly drooping pale yellow-orange sepals, striped with purple-brown, bordered by pale yellow-orange. The orange beards with yellow tips complete the colour harmony. The colour of this plant is magnified by the thick and iridescent texture of the floral parts.

Bourdillon, 2011 breeding. ('Good Show' X 'Dinner Talk')

To accompany the irises, choose plants to associate with them based on their needs (exposure, soil...), their vegetation (low-growing plants or light foliage, non-competitive plants), and their decorative traits (appearance, flowering date). For example, Gauras will cast little shade on the irises and will keep the faded iris bed attractive throughout the summer. California poppies and cornflowers will tolerate the same dry soil in summer as the irises. Perennial geraniums, salvias, and Libertia also accompany irises very well. Slopes, bases of small trees with light foliage, and edges of terraced fields will be stabilised by dense plantings of old varieties that require little care. If the goal is more decorative and access for maintenance is possible, one can choose more modern varieties, such as intermediates that are less likely to be laid flat on the ground by wind and rain.

The vegetable garden can be adorned with a few clumps or borders of irises for cut flowers.