Iris Combinations for May

A pale yellow iris with pale pink neighbors by our backyard gate.

I am loving our bearded iris this spring! They had a dry, hot summer last year, and so they are rewarding us with some beautiful flowers in our zone 5, Pennsylvania garden.

The irises by the back gate (above) were a gift from some family friends a few years ago; we invited them to dinner and they arrived with a trunk full of plants! After getting settled over the past two years, growing roots and cooking in the heat, they finally revealed their flower color this past week. I am enchanted by their pale yellow, sweetly scented blooms. And the combination here could not be nicer: pale pink dame's rockets (Hesperis matronalis) and Granny's bonnet-type columbine (Aquilegia).

Pale yellow iris surrounded with the airy foliage of meadow rue (Thalictrum delavayi 'Splendide' ).

Another pretty combination is in the square planting area at the back of our house. This old iris variety is bright canary yellow with maroon falls, and it goes surprisingly well with the hot pink flowers of the hardy Geranium 'Bevan's Variety'.

View of both of these pretty combinations from our sidewalk looking to the fence.

Bearded iris have a stateliness about them that other irises do not. Perhaps it is there three-foot stems stretching up. The blues have always been my favorite, but these pale yellow are really growing on me. :)

In my time growing plants in close proximity in order to have a succession of blooms, there are a few that have shown that they are not so fond of being smashed together. Bearded irises are one of them, as they like to have their rhizomes out in the sun. And yet, this year they are showing that they can still put on a good show with their neighbors. It just goes to show that you can always learn something new about the plants in your garden!

See more of our small, corner lot... also called Gilmore Gardens.