The mid-spring garden: irises

It’s that time of spring: The roses have not yet begun, but the spring bulbs have finished. The in-between. I’m always searching for new plants (especially perennials) to add to my garden for this time of year—something to tide me over until the rose season begins— and this year I was completely blown away by the irises in my little urban garden in Brooklyn.

In 2021, I planted four small iris plants— two iris “Frappe,” a gorgeous cool blush pink tinged with lavender, streaked with bright orange signals, and two iris “Dusky Challenger”—a deep, rich cool-toned purple with matching signals. Last year, the irises were really nothing to write home about. They were beautiful, and I was happy to see of course, but there were only a few blooms and the season so short.

I think irises must be one one of those plants that need a bit of time to establish in the garden, because this year they have spread themselves and multiplied, and the blooms were so captivating that I took to the garden to visit them at least twice a day. I needn’t have worried so much about their fleeting beauty— I think our extended cool weather this spring has potentially extended their lifespan as they are going strong 2 weeks later.

That’s my one gripe about irises—I wish the season lasted longer or that they were a repeat blooming flower. Our time with them is so short! But I guess that is my job as a gardener and as a person— to embrace living seasonally, to enjoy things as they are in the present, and to not squander away precious time with what I have worrying that it won’t be there tomorrow.

I encourage you to add some irises to your garden—even if, like me, you are a steward of a city garden. If nothing else, these in-between plants are invaluable for extending the season and therefore your joy.