5. MINIATURE TALL BEARDED
(MTB) irises have smaller blooms and
stems that are slender and wiry.
The bloomstalks are 41 cm (16") to 70
cm (27½") tall and present a daintiness
and delicacy of proportion that leads to
the term “table irises” because they are
so well suited for use in arrangements.
A clump in full bloom looks like a
cloud of butterflies.
6. TALL BEARDED (TB stalks are 71 cm and above (over 27 ½"),
with branching and many buds. Each stalk, in itself, makes a stately ar-rangement
in the garden or in a vase. This class of irises exhibits a wide
range of colors and form, including ruffling and lace. TBs along with
poppies and peonies have been the stars of the classic late spring peren-nial
4
borders.
Even if you grow only bearded
irises, you can enjoy a remark-able
range of color and a bloom
season extending over several
months. Some bearded irises are
“rebloomers,” blooming again in
the summer, fall, or winter. Addi-tional
water and fertilizer applied
during the summer months en-courage
them to bloom again.
The SDB, IB, BB, and MTB
classes are known as median
irises as they are between the
MDB and TB classes in size and
bloom season.