In Greek mythology, Iris was seen as a messenger for the gods. Traveling between heaven and earth on a rainbow, wherever she stepped flowers sprang up producing an earthly cornucopia of color. Fortunately for us, we don’t need to encounter the goddess Iris to witness this rainbow of color. We can go to the 3 Sisters Garden in spring and see up to 250 varieties of irises blooming in full glory!
One of the centerpieces of the 3 Sisters Demonstration Garden is the display of irises that flank its southern border. Master Gardener Kathy Sierra, aided by fellow MG’s Janiel Hoff and Carol Kennedy, leads the effort to lovingly maintain this 3 Sisters treasure.
According to Kathy, irises are ideal for the San Joaquin Valley. They do best in full sun, don’t like a lot of water in summer and prefer zero water in the winter. In addition, after 4-5 years in the ground, the rhizomes produce multiple baby rhizomes to replant or give to someone you love. Since they prefer to grow partially exposed above the surface of the soil, it’s easy to gently dig them up and separate them in mid-summer. At the 3 Sisters Garden, we just completed this yearly task. Come September, before the ground gets cold, we’ll be replanting them after placing the different varieties in brown bags and storing them in a dark place.
When asked about their devotion to the irises at 3 Sisters, Kathy and Janiel agreed that the flowers are stunning with their multiple color combinations and this makes all the hard work worth it. There is also a fascination with the yearly rituals of tending to them that produces something so magical that even the goddess Iris would be in awe of it.
The Madera County Master Gardener online iris rhizome sale is now underway. Orders must be placed by Sept. 8.
If you have any questions about irises, please stop by the 3 Sisters Garden on Tuesday mornings, located behind Madera Community College at 30277 Ave 12, and ask for Kathy or Janiel. They would love to share their knowledge with you. Happy Gardening!
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Written by UC Master Gardeners Cecelia Sheeter and Nancy Weeks