Iris germanica Babbling Brook - Bearded Iris

Iris germanica 'Babbling Brook' is a variety of tall bearded iris that is quite old, but has been brought back into the spotlight for its vigour, heavenly colour, and generous flowering. The prolific plant offers large, silky, undulate flowers in a true light blue colour, without any trace of mauve, highlighted by very fine darker veins on the sepals. A magnificent colour enhanced by pale lemon beards. Among the tallest, this iris forms beautiful flowering clumps in spring, even after several years, when its rhizomes are crowded.

The 'Babbling Brook' Iris is a rhizomatous perennial that forms upright clumps. Its deciduous foliage disappears in autumn and reappears in spring. This plant belongs to the Iridaceae family. It is one of the many cultivars obtained over centuries, whose controversial origin is discussed around the number of chromosomes of potential ancestors. It is worth noting that Garden Irises have European origins.

The 'Babbling Brook' Iris will reach approximately 1m (3ft) in height when in bloom, so it should be sheltered from the wind or staked if necessary. Each rhizome produces ramified stems that bear numerous flower buds. The clump will spread very rapidly, with no theoretical limit over time, as the centre rhizomes become bare in favour of the outer rhizomes. The foliage consists of long, glaucous green, strongly veined sword-shaped leaves. In April, floral stems appear and in May, in the middle of the tall iris flowering season, flowers open from the top towards the lower branches. The bright colour of this plant is, as always with Garden Irises, magnified by the silky texture of the petals and sepals.

Bred by Keith Keppel, 1965 ('Galilee' X 'Symphony')

Awards: High Commendation 1965; Honourable Mention 1967; Judges Choice 1967, 1968; NTG Award 1968; Award of Merit 1969; Dykes Medal 1972.

To accompany irises, choose plants to associate based on their needs (exposure, soil...), their "respectful" growth towards irises (low plants or light foliage, non-competitive plants), and their decorative complementarity (appearance, flowering time). For example, Gauras provide little shade to irises and keep the deflowered iris bed attractive throughout summer. California Poppies and Love-in-a-Mist are satisfied with dry soil in summer, just like irises. Perennial geraniums, salvias, and Libertia also accompany irises very well. Slopes, the base of small trees with light foliage, and terraced edges can be stabilized by dense plantings of old 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, which are less likely than tall bearded irises to be literally blown down by the wind and rain.

The vegetable garden can be adorned with a few clumps or borders of irises, as it is also a place dedicated to growing flowers for cutting.