Interrupting a hazy matrix of Stipa tenuissima at intervals is the elegant, sword-like foliage of a bearded iris.
Its deep, inky purple creates impact even from a distance by virtue of the tonal contrast. But close up, the silky velvet petals, with their almost iridescent sheen and vertical habit, make an exclamation in an ocean of stipa, as it begins to sway in even the slightest of breezes.
Plant one iris for every ten stipa, preceding with Tulipa ‘Black Hero’ and following with Verbena macdougalii for seasonal interest.
