Iris Bulbs The Iris family is awesome and diverse. There are just too many varieties to list. Let's take a look at three of today's most beloved Iris. Iris Ensata is just now receiving the attention it so richly deserves in American gardens. The flowers are broad and flat, with lavish fluttering petals so delicate they remind one of butterfly wings. There are numerous varieties, with two feet being the median height and a colour spectrum of white to blue to lavender to purple. Including Iris Ensata bulbs near a water feature makes a perfect picture. Plant in fall for spring bloom.

The stately Dutch Iris is a prince among the fall bulbs. It has that perfect three large petals down/three large petals up Iris look. Once upon a time, Dutch Iris were only available in yellow, white, or blue, but in recent times stunning bi-colours of violet, rust, and golden have emerged. The beautiful blooms are complemented by green sword-like foliage and have a median height of about two feet. Plant the bulbs point up, about twice as deep as they are wide, and be sure to sow in natural drifts. Dutch Iris look wonderful paired with Daffodils and provide springtime's finest cut flowers.

Once upon a time, the Bearded Iris was a proud purple garden mainstay, with blooms about the size of a fist and a height of perhaps two feet at most. Times have changed and the extravagant offerings of today look more like the dreams of a confectioner than a staid gardener. You can look and look and look and not see all the Bearded Iris being grown in American gardens. The best way to list which colours they come in is simply to say that there is no colour that they don't come in! And that includes black, green, and turquoise! Did we mention bi-colours and tri-colours? How about iridescent hues that seem to change chameleon-like from centimeter to centimeter? Flower size now ranges from tiny to as big as your head. We have seen them reach 5' in height. Petal texture can be plush velvet or ruffled organdy! It is no wonder that just about every town in the U.S. has a Bearded Iris show in May, just so people can gaze at these fascinating creations. Bearded Iris grow from rhizomes, which must be planted right at soil level. You set them laying flat, not vertically. They do not like to be disturbed and some varieties may take a year or two to bloom. But, once they get going, they reproduce amazingly and will cover ground with a network of new rhizomes. They must be divided every few years to make room. The majority of Bearded Iris bloom in spring, but there are fall bloomers too. They have a sweet, violet-like scent and are beloved by bees. If you've never grown a Bearded Iris, try just a few rhizomes and you're sure to be stunned by what comes up!

Do you love irises? View the selection of exquisite, hand crafted iris tea sets and iris tea accessories at one of our favorite sites here: http://www.teasetshop.com/iristeaset.shtml. The iris pattern is one of the many hand painted pottery designs they feature at this tea set shop. Exquisite hand brush work creates each petal, stem and leaf. Their ceramic pottery is made in the USA, is lead free and is microwave and dishwasher safe. Serve your family, your friends and your self in style with this elegant tea set!