Iris x hollandica Bronze Perfection

The Iris (x) hollandica 'Bronze Perfection' is a richly coloured variety of Dutch Iris, with large bi-coloured flowers that display an unusual colour for these hybrids. The upright petals are a blend of bronze with garnet highlights and smoky mauve, while the yellow sepals have a coloured base of brown, orange, and garnet. The overall effect is enhanced by a bright yellow spot. This bulbous iris blooms in late spring or early summer, depending on the climate, producing stylish and elegant flowers of good size that stand out in borders and bouquets. 'Bronze Perfection' is a very beautiful flower with warm tones that deserves to be showcased in the garden. 

The Dutch Iris, or bulbous iris, have an underground storage organ in the form of a bulb, unlike their famous cousins Iris germanica, or Bearded Iris. Belonging to the same botanical family as the latter, the iridaceae family, they also differ from them in the absence of "beards," those pretty little fluffy and colorful tongues found on the drooping sepals of bearded irises. Dutch irises have never grown wild in Dutch soil, but are the result of cross-breeding between two main botanical species: Iris filifolia, sometimes confused with Iris xyphium which resembles it, both originating from Spain and North Africa, and Iris tingitana, from Tangier and northern Morocco. The genealogy of Dutch hybrids is sometimes confusing, but the result is always remarkable. Their flowers, somewhat underutilized in the garden, are highly prized in floristry. 

The Bronze Perfection Dutch Iris forms an erect and narrow clump over time, reaching 50-60 cm (20-24in) in height when in bloom. This perennial extends without theoretical limit through the production of bulblets. This cultivar blooms in late spring, usually in May-June, for 2 to 3 weeks, on wind-resistant stems. Its solitary or paired flowers on the stems, 10 to 12 cm (4 to 5in) in diameter, are relatively slender compared to those of Bearded Iris, but undeniably elegant. They consist of 3 upright, slender, translucent, small, multicoloured petals. Beneath this trio are 3 almost horizontal petals, closely linked to the petaloid styles with toothed edges, arranged in a staggered pattern. Wider, they are spatulate, yellow, veined with bronze, darker at the base, and illuminated by a golden yellow spot in the center. Each flower can last 5 to 7 days, even in a vase. The bulb is round, 2 to 3 cm (1in) wide, covered with a fibrous tunic of pinkish beige. It produces some linear, thin, leathery leaves, somewhat resembling those of a grass, with a slightly glaucous green colour, often lightly striated and folded in half towards the ground. They frequently appear in autumn, persisting to a greater or lesser extent depending on the severity of the winter, and dry up during the dormant period in summer. 

Less well-known and less used by gardeners than Bearded Irises, Dutch Irises are nevertheless easy to grow in light and fertile soil and have undeniable elegance. Plant them in groups of 10 to 20 bulbs of the same variety; they will come back year after year to offer you increasingly elegant and joyful flowers, which complement well with the spring flowering of shrubs. They also look stunning when planted among perennials such as peonies and daylilies, which will conceal their dormancy during the summer. Their Mediterranean origins make them well-adapted to summer drought: in the Mediterranean region, it is not uncommon for them to bloom in April. Finally, pick their flowers to create bouquets with roses, calla lilies, or even late tulips. All irises need a sunny exposure to bloom well. Offer them at least half a day of full sun each day.