Tuesday, May 4, 2010

A Fine Combination

Iris 'Hollywood Nights' and Miscanthus Sinensis 'Adiago'

When I was a little girl my grandmother had a bed of iris outside the back door. They were all the same kind, a purplish-brown and yellow type. I vaguely remember the flowers, but I distinctly remember the foliage. It reminded me of a patch of four by four feet of sharp swords sticking out of the ground. It's amazing to me that these became one of my favorite flowers, however I certainly do not grow them in their own beds. They are one of the few plants that I purposely dot throughout the garden, one here and one there.


Iris 'Vizier' and Miscanthus Sinensis 'Variegates'

This year I have noticed that the ones that seem to be most pleasing in the garden are the ones that are planted near and among ornamental grasses. I think the soft, breezy nature of the grass softens the sharp iris foliage and serves as a neutral background for the stunning blooms. Iris are very stiff plants and grasses are very fluid. A fine combination in my opinion!

7 comments:

Amy said...

That does make a pretty combination. Your photos are beautiful!

delia said...

I love Irises, and I like the combinations with miscanthus...I'll try it! Good photos

Becca's Dirt said...

Stunning iris. Can't wait to see mine bloom this year. The grasses and color and textures do make a beautiful combination.

Tatyana@MySecretGarden said...

Gorgeous!

Pam/Digging said...

Good tip.

Curbstone Valley Farm said...

I agree, a perfect combination! I love Miscanthus. Miscanthus was my own first foray into ornamental grasses . I love how it moves in a gentle breeze, and it's just as beautiful in winter as it is in spring.

Jennifer said...

What beautiful irises! Especially love the purple one.