First Bearded Iris

My first Iris of the spring is blooming today. I love Bearded Iris!  They are so easy, give you beautiful flowers in the spring and have interesting blue-gray foliage the rest of the year. And if you're lucky(or a smart shopper) you've planted REBLOOMING Iris that will bloom again in autumn. They call them "bearded" because of the little furry parts between the upper petals and the downward pointing petals that are called the falls. My amazingly blue Iris in the photo has white beards. It may look purple on your screen(blue is so difficult to photograph) but it is blue!   Some Iris have contrasting beards that are easier to see. Grow Bearded Iris in full to part sun with well-drained soil. Oh! They're so pretty!

For my local SoCal friends there is an Iris show coming up at Topanga Promenade in Woodland Hills on Apr. 14-15, 2012.  Here is a link  SFV Iris Show      I'm going to see it Sat after I compete at the San Fernando Valley rose show that day. It'll be a busy flower filled day, as a Spring day should be!