Iris germanica Bleu de Gien - Bearded Iris

The 'Bleu de Gien' German Iris is a Grand Garden Iris with a beautiful medium to deep blue-violet colour, perfectly uniform. Only the pale blue beards powdered with yellow break the purity of its colour. The flowers, with their pleasing shape and minimal ruffling, are visible from far away in the garden. It is a mid to late season variety, whose generous flowering will enhance that of the early red peonies, for example.

The 'Bleu de Gien' Iris is a rhizomatous perennial plant that develops in elegantly upright clumps starting from spring, with its foliage disappearing in winter. It belongs to the Iridaceae family. It is one of the many cultivars obtained over the centuries, with a controversial origin that revolves around the number of chromosomes of potential ancestors. It is worth noting that Garden Irises have European origins. They are plants that thrive in calcareous soils and require plenty of sunlight, with their rhizomes needing to "cook" in summer in order to bloom. A minimum of 6 hours of sunlight per day is generally required.

'Bleu de Gien' will reach a height of 85cm (34in) when in bloom, with numerous flower buds per stem. The clump will spread indefinitely over time, with the central rhizomes thinning out in favour of the outer ones. The foliage consists of long and wide sword-shaped leaves, with a slightly glaucous green colour, traversed by parallel veins. In April, floral stems appear, which will produce large flowers in May-June (at least 8 per stem), opening from the top to the lower branches. The very rich colour of this plant is, as always with Garden Irises, magnified by the thick and iridescent texture of the upright petals and the trailing sepals. It should be noted that the flower is slightly fragrant.

Obtained by Cayeux, 1978

To accompany irises, plants should be chosen based on their needs (exposure, soil...), their "respectful" growth habit towards irises (low-growing or light foliage), and their decorative complementarity (appearance, flowering time). For example, Gaura plants will provide little shade to irises and will keep the iris bed attractive throughout the summer. Eschscholzia will be content with a dry soil like the iris. Geraniums, salvias, and Libertia also complement irises very well. Slopes and terraced edges can be stabilized by dense plantings of old diploid varieties that can remain in place and require little care. For a more decorative purpose and with possible access for maintenance, more modern varieties can be chosen, such as intermediates that are less likely to be literally flattened by wind and rain compared to tall varieties.

When planted at the base of a wall, the relative shelter from the wind allows for the use of tall irises. Of course, lower and early varieties can be planted in the foreground.

Alley border: the realm of early dwarf irises under 40cm (16in), up to intermediates (in size and earliness) and border irises, which are medium-sized but flower with the tall ones.

Mass planting border: the domain of irises... both border and dwarf, depending on the circumstances.

Mixed border: the entire range of sizes can be used, chosen according to the space (foreground, background) and the size of the surrounding plants.

Iris bed, the iris garden: the paradise of the iris lover, where the choice of varieties (shape, colour, fragrance...) reflects each person's taste. The use of the entire range of bearded irises allows for two and a half months of flowers in spring. The choice of so-called perpetual irises offers a few additional flowers in late summer or autumn, depending on the climate.

The vegetable garden can be adorned with a few clumps or borders of irises, as it is also a classic place for the family cultivation of cut flowers.