Iris Sur la plage - Tall Bearded Iris

'Sur la plage' is a Grand Garden Iris that stands out for its unusual colouration, with a touch of elegant, soft and mysterious grey. Derived from the Ciel Gris sur Poilly variety, this cultivar offers beautifully formed flowers, with white petals infused with yellow at the base and light yellowish smoky sepal turning greyish beige at the edges, all warmed by a beautiful apricot to golden yellow. It blooms between mid and late iris season, in May-June.

'Sur la plage' Iris is a rhizomatous perennial plant that develops elegantly upright clumps in spring, with its foliage disappearing in winter. It belongs to the Iridaceae family. It is one of the many cultivars obtained for centuries, with its controversial origin being debated around the number of chromosomes of potential ancestors. It is worth noting that Garden Irises have European origins. They are plants that thrive in limestone soils and require plenty of sunlight, as their rhizomes need to 'cook' in summer to be able to flower. A minimum of 6 hours of sunlight per day is generally required.

'Sur la plage' will reach 85 cm (34in) high when in bloom. The clump will spread without a theoretical limit over time, with the central rhizomes thinning out in favour of the outer rhizomes. The foliage consists of long and wide sword-shaped, slightly glaucous green leaves, traversed by parallel veins. Floral stems appear in April with bicoloured flowers in May-June, blooming from the top to the lower branches. They consist of 3 erect petals, dominant over 3 almost horizontal sepals, slightly wavy at the edges. The beards are orange at the base and golden yellow at their tips. The colour of this plant is magnified by the thick and iridescent texture of the floral components.

Obtained by Cayeux, 2017.

To accompany irises, choose plants based on their needs (exposure, soil...), vegetation (low plants or light foliage, non-competitive plants), decorative aspect and flowering date. For example, Gaura will provide little shade to irises and will keep the faded iris bed attractive throughout summer. California Poppies and Love-in-a-Mist will tolerate dry soil in summer, like irises. Perennial geraniums, salvias, and Libertia also complement irises very well. Slopes, the base of small trees with light foliage, and terraced edges can be stabilised by a dense planting of old varieties that require little care. If the goal is more decorative and access for maintenance is possible, one can choose more modern varieties, such as intermediates that are less likely to be knocked down by wind and rain.

The vegetable garden can be adorned with a few clumps or borders of irises for cut flowers.