Iris germanica English Charm

The 'English Charm' Garden Iris expresses itself with great gentleness, with its cream-coloured petals veined with copper and infused with dominant lemon on apricot-copper sepals bordered in cream. Colouring of great delicacy, and an unprecedented combination of hues, enhanced by mandarin beards. A sturdy, mid-season variety that sometimes reblooms in autumn depending on climatic conditions. Its flowers are beautiful in a vase, but not long-lasting.

The 'English Charm' Iris germanica is a perennial rhizomatous plant that develops in clumps from spring, elegantly upright, with its foliage disappearing in winter. It belongs to the Iridaceae family. It is one of many cultivars obtained over the centuries, with debate about their disputed origins revolving around the number of chromosomes of potential ancestors. It should be noted that Bearded 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 to be able to flower. A minimum of 6 hours of sunlight per day is generally required.

'English Charm' will reach 85 cm (34in) in height when flowering, with 6 to 8 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, a somewhat glaucous green, traversed by parallel veins. In April floral stems appear, which will produce flowers in May-June, blooming from the top down to the lower branches. As always with Bearded Irises, the colour of the flowers is magnified by the silky texture of the 3 upright petals and the 3 drooping sepals. A second flowering can occur in September-October if the plant is not lacking in water, sunlight, heat, or nutrients. Note that so-called reblooming varieties are more demanding and have even more vigorous growth.

Obtained by Barry Blyth, 1989.

To complement irises, choose plants based on their needs (sunlight, soil), their "respectful" growth habit vis-a-vis irises (low-growing plants or light foliage), and how they complement each other visually (appearance, flowering period). For example, Gauras will cast little shade and will keep the bed attractive throughout summer once the irises have flowered. California Poppies (Eschscholzia), like irises, will be satisfied with dry and poor soil. Perennial geraniums, salvias, and Libertia also complement irises very well. Slopes and terraced edges can be stabilised by dense planting 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 one can choose more modern varieties, such as intermediates that are less likely than tall varieties to be knocked over by wind and rain.

At the base of a wall: tall irises can be planted, sheltered from the wind, while shorter and earlier varieties can be planted in the foreground.

Alongside a path: the realm of dwarf irises under 40 cm (16in), up to intermediate (in size and earliness) and border irises, of medium size but flowering with the tall ones.

Mixed border: the whole range can be used, chosen according to the location (foreground, background) and the size of the companion plants.

Iris bed, iris garden: the paradise of the iris collector. Using the entire range of garden irises allows for two and a half months of flowers in spring. Reblooming irises offer a few more flowers in late summer or autumn, depending on the climate.

The vegetable garden can be adorned with a few clumps or borders of irises, to grow for bouquets.