Iris Ballet Lesson

Iris Ballet Lesson, also known as lilliput iris, is a small variety with uniform light apricot flowers that are barely streaked with flesh pink under the small bright orange beard. It blooms in April, before the tall irises, and quickly forms beautiful, very bright clumps in borders, rockeries, or containers.

Iris 'Ballet Lesson' is a rhizomatous, deciduous perennial plant with an upright clump from spring. It belongs to the Iridaceae family. It is one of the many modest-sized cultivars that appeared in the 1950s. Originally, the 'lilliput' category referred to the cross-breeding of an Iris pumila and a tall iris. This term now generally refers to the category of standard dwarf bearded (SDB) irises.  'Ballet Lesson' will reach 20 cm (8in) high when in bloom, with numerous buds, and the clump will spread without a theoretical limit over time, with the central rhizomes becoming bare in favour of the outer rhizomes. It forms a dense clump of long, sword-shaped, glaucous green, heavily veined leaves. Floral stems appear in March and bloom in April from the top down. The colour is enhanced by the texture of the petals and sepals, which are waxy and slightly translucent.

To accompany irises, choose plants based on their needs (exposure, soil...), their vegetation (low-growing plants or light foliage), their decorative appearance and flowering time. For example, Gaura will cast little shade on irises and will keep the faded iris bed attractive throughout the summer. Eschscholzia will be content with a dry and poor soil, just like the iris. Geraniums, salvias, and Libertia also pair well with irises. Slopes and terraced edges can be stabilised by dense plantings of old diploid varieties that can remain in place and require little care. If the goal is more decorative and access for care is possible, choose more modern varieties, such as intermediates that are less likely to be knocked over than tall varieties.

Path border: the entire range can be used, from early dwarfs under 40 cm (16in) to tall irises over 75 cm (30in) that bloom in May, including intermediates (in size and earliness) and border irises, which are medium-sized but bloom with the tall ones. Tall irises may be prone to breaking if not staked.

Bed border: the domain of border irises... but also dwarfs, depending on the circumstances.

Mixed border: the entire range of sizes can be used, depending on the location (foreground, background) and the size of the surrounding plants.