Standard Dwarf Bearded Iris, Heather Carpet (Chapman, 1999), hugs a garden path.
Easy to plant, easy to care for, easy to enjoy! That is the Iris. And such variety too! Variety of size, variety of bloom season, variety of color, variety of style. Isn’t success in life all about the choices we make? That simple maxim can apply to the realm of the flower garden too. The Iris offer such a host of choices, one is surely to find just the right color, or size, etc. Let’s talk about the breadth of bloom time, for example. The Miniature Dwarf Iris and the Standard Dwarf Iris are among the very first Iris to bloom. Weather depending, of course, they open up their diminutive blossoms, just 5 to 15 inches in height, approximately mid-March to early April (in most temperate zones), heralding the launch of another promising Iris season.
Intermediate and Border Bearded Iris blooming at Schreiner’s Iris Gardens
Weep not for the fading Dwarf Iris! For the Intermediate, Median, or Border Iris are opening on the garden scene. A bit taller than the tallest Dwarf, yet shorter than the shortest Tall Bearded Iris, they offer brilliant bloom to span the gap between March and May, a beautiful complement to the Cherry blossoms! The earliest blooming Tall Bearded Iris will overlap with the later-blooming Intermediate Iris, to create a seamless floral transition of color. Sprinkle in several mid-season and late-season Tall Bearded Iris around your garden, and the color show continues well into June.
Let’s have a few more words about these Dwarf Iris, though. The Hungarian language has a saying, “The pepper corn is small, but mighty.” (Kicsi a bors, de erős.) The same can be said about these Iris of smaller stature. They are no less hardy than their taller, more robust cousins. Dwarf Iris, both Miniature and Standard types, propagate with strength and, once in bloom, stand up to the early spring frosts. There are several wonderful resources available which provide great detail on the origins of these hybrids (quite fascinating, really). The Dwarf Iris Society is a good place to start for further links and leads on exploring the subject. Several Iris breeders today have introduced spectacular Bearded Iris cultivars in miniature.
A few moments spent even casually mapping out the succession of Iris blooms in your garden will yield months of rainbow color from your ankles to above your hips! Dwarf, Intermediate, Tall Bearded, as well as Beardless Iris, are all planted in the summer months. Below is a simple chart, indicating approximate bloom times for Iris ranging from the Miniature Dwarf to the Tall Bearded, and including the Beardless Iris such as Siberian and Louisiana. Bloom time is greatly dependent on weather conditions and gardening practices, however. For example, Reblooming Iris require regular fertilization and dividing.
|
March |
April |
May |
June |
July/Aug/Sept/Oct |
|
Min. Dwf. & Std. Dwf. (5″ to 15″; 5cm to 28cm) |
Intermediates & Border (16″ to 27″; 40cm to 68cm) |
Tall Bearded (28″ to 48″;70cm to 122cm) |
Tall Bearded & Beardless |
Reblooming Bearded Iris of all sizes |
Music, Standard Dwarf Bearded
Keith Keppel, 1999
As Barbara Whitehouse and Bee Warburton write in their chapter entitled “Miniature Dwarf Beardeds”, in The World of Irises, (The American Iris Society, 1986) “…each iris lover should grow at least one or two clumps of them …. However, they are so charming that one or two clumps may ultimately become a whole bed or border.” (pg 145)….
If you are one who can hardly wait for the year’s Iris season to start, you have merely to plant some Dwarf Bearded Iris this summer. You will have Iris blooming with the first inkling of spring warmth. Even if you consider yourself simply a fan, a dabbler, a curious gardening newbie to the world of flowers, give the Dwarf Iris a try!
Do you grow Dwarf Iris? Share your comments below!
What to do in the Iris garden this month…..read more on our site.
For the Love of Iris 
April 7, 2017 at 5:46 am
I have two (very similar) yellow mini dwarfs and one blue with brownish falls that just started a few blooms and one older standard dwarf (dark blueish purple) 🙂 It’s always exciting to see them that early, together with the Early Scout peony and the last narcissuses.
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April 7, 2017 at 9:03 am
Delightful! Thank you for sharing. It is indeed exciting to catch a glimpse of a diminutive Iris in the early spring. Almost as exciting as catching sight of a reblooming Iris in the late summer! Thank you again. Happy Spring!
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April 11, 2016 at 1:21 pm
do you have broken pattern iris or broken color
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April 11, 2016 at 1:29 pm
Yes, we grow many of the broken color varieties. Please visit our website http://www.schreinersgardens.com and type in the words broken color into the search field. Let us know if we be of further assistance. Thank you for reading our blog.
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February 27, 2014 at 11:20 am
I got my first Dwarfs from you last fall. I can’t wait for them to bloom….live in Kansas so still having ice n snow. Can’t wait for spring!
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February 27, 2014 at 11:30 am
No doubt the Dwarf Iris sprouts are huddled under the snow ready and waiting to burst forth as soon as they’re free. As temps warm up and the ice and snow thaw, the hungry snails and slugs will come looking for a meal. Be sure to set out pet and people-friendly bait if necessary when the time comes.
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