Dutch Iris 'Miss Saigon'

Lilac blue standards, fading almost to silver at the base. The lilac and silver falls have a broad, golden flush that adds to the unique charm. It flowers a little later than Discovery.

Dutch Iris are exotic and hardy plants perfect for late spring garden colour. As one of the tallest spring bulbs available, they are ideal for planting in the middle or at the back of beds and borders. They look best when planted in groups or ribbons, as like most spring bulbs they can look a bit lonely on their own.

Their straight stems are excellent for picking, so it is worth planting a few extras for the vase.

The foliage of Dutch Iris is mid green, narrow, and upright. It is the perfect complement to the blooms and easy to weave into almost any garden scheme, where it disappears soon after the flowers. You can even grow them in large containers or pots (just don't forget to water).

Dutch Iris are delightfully hardy bulbs which will easily naturalise to give you years of increasing colour. Plant 10-15cm deep in any well drained soil. Water to establish, then you only need bother if rainfall is low during their growth - as most of Australia experiences natural rainfall though autumn/winter they are usually pretty self sufficient. Dutch Iris are relatively trouble free, but it is a good idea to protect new growth from slugs and snails, and keep an eye out for aphids as the weather warms up.

Climates south of Sydney/Perth and up in the Qld Tablelands are best for these Iris. Choose a spot with around six hours of sun a day - in warmer climes half a day is just ok. Fertilise with a general purpose fertiliser annually when they begin to grow.

Once the blooms finish, it is ideal to cut the flower stem, either at the top or bottom but allow the foliage to stand after flowering so it can feed the bulb for next year's growth rather than trying to produce seed. You can cut it all back once it has yellowed and the bulb goes into dormancy, but it pretty well fades by itself.

Our tip: if you are pushed for space in the garden try companion planting your Dutch Iris with salad greens in the veggie plot. You can pick the blooms and harvest the leaves at the same time. Plant more greens as needed and they will help hide the fading foliage.