Iris Wild Frontier

The 'Wild Frontier' German Iris, also known as the tall bearded iris, has large, fragrant flowers in shades of brown-hazelnut and lavender in May-June. This variety will captivate you with its baroque combination of colours. It has vigorous growth and quickly forms beautiful clumps. Perfect for borders, edges, and slopes.

The 'Wild Frontier' Iris is a rhizomatous and deciduous perennial plant, with an upright tuft from spring onwards. It belongs to the Iridaceae family. It is one of the many cultivars obtained over centuries, with disputed origins revolving around the number of chromosomes of potential ancestors. It is known that Garden Irises have European origins. 'Wild Frontier' will reach 90 cm (35in) high when in bloom and the clump will spread indefinitely over time, with the central rhizomes becoming bare in favour of the outer rhizomes. Iris 'Wild Frontier' forms an elegant, upright, dense clump of long, sword-shaped, glaucous green leaves with prominent veins. Floral stems appear in April and bloom in May, opening from the top down. The brown hazelnut of the petals is mixed here with shades of lavender and violet-pansy on the sepals, with the shoulders and centre highlighted by a lavender hue. A cinnamon band emphasizes the petals. The petals have frilly edges. The colour is enhanced by the texture of the petals and sepals. It is worth noting that the flowers are also highly fragrant.

Do you have a sunny, warm location, relatively dry in summer?
This is the ideal spot for irises! In shade, they grow weakly and do not flower. They are hardy and do not require winter protection. Well-drained soil is perfectly suitable, even if it is somewhat dry and chalky. Excessively damp soil promotes rhizome rot. Plant 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 or so to provide fresh soil. They have vigorous growth and require space to develop and flower well. They should be planted with spacing appropriate to the size and vigour of the variety: about 34-50 cm (13-20in) for tall ones. In a monochromatic planting, the rhizomes are 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, 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 large and deep enough. Create a small mound of soil on which to place the rhizome and spread out the roots. Cover the roots but the rhizome must be left just above the soil surface. It should not be planted in a dip (risk of rot), so anticipate soil settling and the iris sinking. In clay or damp soil, the rhizome should even be left raised on a slight mound. To ensure the soil clings to the roots, lightly firm the soil and thoroughly water immediately after planting. Water if necessary 2-3 times until established.

Maintenance:

Keep the soil weed-free by shallow hoeing, taking care not to damage the rhizomes or roots. Weeds shade the irises, retain moisture (causing rot), and attract slugs. Also, remove dry leaves. If they are diseased (with reddish-brown 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.