Dreaming of gorgeous garden changes to make a start on this month? If so, then be sure to include irises, and lots of them, in your planting plans.

Botanists believe that there are somewhere between 260 and 300 different species of irises scattered all around the word: We are blessed with a few indigenous species, mainly in the north, of our own too and what stunning beauties they are!

Irises are botanically named after an ancient Greek goddess Iris, which means rainbow in Greek and, true to the name, irises are found in all the colours of the rainbow and many, many more.

True to their name, irises come in all the colours of the rainbow

These unmistakable, spring flowers fall into two main categories: bulbous and rhizomous.

Bulbous irises are largely plants of dryish landscapes such as rocky mountainsides, arid grasslands and desert verges in which their hardy bulbs thrive and multiply surprisingly with little moisture. Ranging in height from miniatures of as little as two to three inches up to a stately three feet or so, bulbous iris are incredibly easy to grow and will thrive and multiply for years to come in rockeries.

Here in Pakistan, the most common bulbous irises in the market are the lovely Dutch irises in cobalt blues, bright yellow and brilliant white — watch out for those arriving (imported from Holland) in garden supply stores fairly soon. Come spring, these popular cut flowers are reasonably long-lasting in water if their original 18-inch long stems are trimmed back at the base about an inch every other day. With regular change of water plus an aspirin for good measure, these can be encouraged to light up your home for as long as two weeks at a time.

Growing them is simple: either plant the bulbs a couple of inches — no deeper — down in well-prepared, freely draining, soil in full sun or in dappled shade or in pots/containers of reasonable compost with some river sand mixed in (75 percent compost/25percent river sand). Pots/containers should be lightly watered once in a while if in a protected space such as a sheltered veranda but if open to the weather, they can, as with those being grown directly in ground, be left to their own — and climatic — devices unless the winter/spring is exceptionally dry. Whatever else you do, do not over-water them or the bulbs will rot.

If bulbs aren’t quite your ‘thing’ then rhizomous irises are the ones for you and, in many respects, can be easier to cultivate and faster to multiply than their bulbous cousins in our increasingly fickle climate.

Bearded iris — or iris germanica to give their botanical ‘handle’, are mind-blowing when in bloom and decidedly interesting when only in leaf: the leaves being strongly upward growing ‘swords’ of various widths.

Available in a delightful range of harsh and soft colours, with bi-colours being in high demand too, bearded iris does not really ask for much.

Growing two feet to approximately four feet tall (height varies with species), their fleshy rhizomes — these resemble weird, elongated, bumpy potatoes from outer space — grow lengthwise and are at their happiest, and most floriferous, when at least half of the rhizome is exposed on top of the soil. When planting these rhizomes it is simply a matter of pressing them down into prepared soil: if you cover them with soil they are liable to rot or, if they survive, will fail to flower. The upper part of the rhizomes needs exposure to light and air in order for it to mature: only mature rhizomes produce flowers.

Soil should be slightly acidic, reasonably rich, with plenty of well-rotted organic material mixed in yet, whilst the selected site must be well-drained, bearded irises do need regular watering during hot weather.

Reasonably rich means exactly that: too much nitrogen in the soil results in masses of lush green growth but no flowers. You have been warned!

They flourish in light shade or, some species, in full sun but ... do keep in mind that full sun in Pakistan is, for much of the year, very different than full sun in Europe or America!

Bearded iris, when happy, produce fantastic bursts of bloom through spring and — depending on location — on into early summer with ‘rebloomers’ having another flowering session in the autumn/early winter.

There are so many kinds/species and hybrid irises that I felt it best to stick to discussing those that are easiest to find in stores and nurseries here and with the right measure of care, perform well in our climate.

*Irises, be they bulbous or rhizomous, are at their best when planted in groups/clumps as this encourages them to put on an absolutely stunning show and planting time for those mentioned above is from the end of September until December for best results.

Please continue sending your gardening queries to zahrahnasir@hotmail.com. It is important to include your location. The writer does not respond directly by email. Emails with attachments will not be opened and commercial inquires will be ignored.

Published in Dawn, EOS, September 24th, 2017