Iris Gamay

German Iris 'Gamay', also known as the tall bearded iris, produces very large, fragrant flowers in shades of mauve, dark pink, and burgundy in May-June. Its growth is particularly vigorous, quickly forming beautiful clumps. Ideal for borders, flower beds, and slopes.

The 'Gamay' German Iris is a deciduous perennial plant with rhizomes that grows in upright clumps in spring. It is a giant, reaching 1m (3ft) high when in bloom. It spreads without any theoretical limit, with the centre becoming sparser in favour of the periphery. The sword-shaped foliage is glaucous green and highly veined. Flower stems appear in April and bloom in May. The astonishing colour of this plant is enhanced by the texture of the petals and sepals. Note that the flowers are also highly fragrant.

Do you have a sunny, warm location, rather dry in summer?
That's the perfect spot for irises! In the shade, they struggle to grow and won't bloom. They are hardy and don't require winter protection. Well-drained soil, even rather dry and limestone, is perfectly suitable. Excessively moist soil can cause rhizome rot. Plant them from July to September. This gives the rhizomes enough time to grow and develop new roots before winter. They should be planted as soon as they are purchased for best results. Plan to divide irises every 4 years or so to give them fresh soil.

To accompany the irises, choose plants that thrive in sunny, dry soil. Opt for shorter plants or those with light foliage to avoid shading them, and consider their decorative appearance and flowering time. Gaura, for example, meets all three criteria, and its later flowering will keep the flower bed attractive in summer. Eschscholzia, perennial geraniums, salvias, and Libertia also pair well with irises. The relative shelter from the wind allows for the use of tall irises against a wall. They can also be planted in the foreground with shorter, early varieties. The vegetable garden can be planted with a few clumps or borders of irises for cutting.

Path border: The entire range of irises can be used, from early dwarfs under 40 cm (16in) to tall irises over 75 cm (30in) that bloom in May, including intermediate varieties (in terms of size and earliness) and border irises, which are medium-sized but bloom with the tall ones. Tall irises are at risk of being blown over if not staked.

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

Mixed border: The entire range of sizes can be used, based on the available space (foreground, background) and the size of the surrounding plants.

Iris bed, the iris garden: a paradise for iris enthusiasts where the choice and arrangement of varieties (shape, colour, fragrance...) reflects each individual's taste. The use of the full range of bearded irises allows for two and a half months of flowers in spring. Choose reblooming irises for a few additional flowers in late summer or autumn.