'Painted Lady' Dwarf Iris Bulbs

Painted Lady Iris

There's definitely an Impressionist quality to Painted Lady, her elegant, upward-curving cream petals the canvas for a painterly veining of deep lavender that fades gently to the softest blue towards the edges, a faint blush of yellow completing the picture. Big and bold it is not (but if you prefer your irises that way, there are other varieties that will suit). Yet first impressions can be misleading: Painted Lady is a tough, hardly little iris that can push its way up bravely through a blanket of snow making her a worthy member of our range of rockery bulbs for sale

Colour by numbers

There's a trick to the planting with Iris reticulata. You want a nice big group for impact, yet position the bulbs too close and you'll lose the definition on that glorious petal shape. So don't pack them in too tight. In terms of where to plant, they're natives of the bright stony slopes of Turkish and Russian mountains, so a sunny rockery or alpine bed makes the perfect home, where Painted Lady combines well with creeping thymes, spring gentians or Crocus tommasinianus. Or pop these pale beauties on the sunny side of an evergreen hedge: the dark backdrop provides the perfect foil for their delicate charms. They're equally alluring grouped under scented shrubs such as daphnes, or an early-flowering cherry tree. In pots, Painted Lady makes an arresting pairing with Muscari or deep-purple winter-flowering violas.

Features of Painted Lady Iris

• Colour: ivory and lavender-blue, with a hint of yellow
• Height: 10-12cm
• Scent: none
• Flowering: January-March
• Bulb Size: 5-6cm
• Planting Depth: 2 to 3 times the height of the bulb
• Planting Months: late September - early November

What's in a name?

Reticulate means netted (reticulum is "little net" in Latin), so reticulata takes its name from the subtle net-like pattern on the dry bulbs. Iris, of course, is the name of the Greek goddess of the rainbow.

• 10 small bulbs: anemones, crocus, dwarf daffodils, iris reticulata etc or
• 5 large bulbs: hyacinths, daffodils, tulips

Painted Lady reticulated iris love a sunny spot. Remember they are in flower when most trees and shrubs are leafless and the sun is low in the sky in winter, so they can be planted in spots that become shady only in late spring and summer.

They need good drainage, so well-drained, open soil makes them happy; you'll need to add plenty of horticultural grit and/or garden sand if yours is heavy. They do well in neutral to alkaline soils. Plant the bulbs about twice as deep as they are tall and about 5cm apart. Finish off with a layer of sharp grit to discourage snails and the like.

Reticulated iris are best planted in early autumn – September to October; the relatively warm soil encourages a healthy root system. They don't need to be dug up after flowering – just leave them to multiply, and divide when congested.