The Iris. Marginal Plants For The Garden Pond. Part 4.

This plant deserves a full article all of its own. There are three species of Iris which can be considered to be true aquatic plants for growing all year round in the shallows of your pond and i consider it to be absurd to have a collection of Marginals without having at least one of these gorgeous plants growing in your pond. The most important variety for your average garden pond is Iris Ieavigata (Japanese Water Iris). The 3 petalled blooms are somewhere in the region of about 5 inches across and they are borne on 2 ft. high stems. The very first flowers normally start to open in June and are clear blue in colour with a yellow line down the centre of each petal. A further flush of blooms may well appear in September depending on the local climate that you live in.

You can find a number of varieties that you can choose from 'Snowdrift' (white with 6 petals), 'Dorothy' (blue with a white line down the centre of every petal), 'Variegata' (blue, leaves variegated yellow and green) and the hybrid I. 'Rose Queen' (rose-pink).

The planting depth for I. laevigata and its varieties is 0 - 3 inches. I.pseudacorus (Yellow Flag or Yellow Water Iris) is more vigorous and taller than I. Iaevigata. The foliage is 3 - 4ft. lond and the yellow flowers are on stems which can reach as high as 3 ft. The species is too course for ordinary garden ponds but the variety 'Variegata' (2 - 2.5 ft. high) with its more restrained growth habit and cream leaves edged with green makes it an excellent choice. Other varieties include 'Sulphur Queen' and 'Bastardii'. The planting depth for I. pseudacorus and its varieties is 2 - 4 inches.

The third aquatic variety is I. versicolor (American Blue Flag). This is a restrained plant for that smaller pond. Its leaves are 2 ft. long and the flower stalks are 1.5 - 2 ft. in hight. The violet blue flowers begin to show in June or July and they have narrow petals blotched with gold on the base. The popular variety is 'Kermesina' with claret red flowers dotted with white. The planting depth for I. versicolor and its varieties is 2 - 4 inches.

Propagation: To propagate the individual plants, all you need to do is divide the clumps when the flowering has finished and your plants will thrive.

That just about covers everything I want to say about this gorgeous plant. I do hope that I haven’t gone on too long in regards to the Iris, but I do feel strongly them. From a personal point of view, if you haven't got an Iris or two growing in your pond then you really should add them. You certainly won't regret it. The vibrant colours and sizes of these plants will amaze you along with any visitors which you may have. I could have made this article a good deal longer but I don't want the readers to get bored. Please, give the Iris a chance.

By: Stephen Drummonsy

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