I installed the landscape above last fall. It’s along a lake and required plenty of natives to work with the habitat and regulations.

Blue Flag Iris – Iris Versicolor

While designing the landscape I noticed Jewel Weed growing next to a footbridge. I wondered if I could do better with a more colorful plant. As I poured over native plant lists I stumbled on Blue Flag Iris (Iris versicolor).

Blue Flag Iris tolerates shallow standing water and has purplish-blue flowers in early-June here in Zone 6a.

But this post isn’t about the merits of Blue Flag Iris. It’s about what a cool spot that was for Blue Flag Iris.

Small Details Make a Big Difference

I get a thrill out of small details like the grouping of Blue Flag Iris. These are the details that make or break a landscape. Placing a boulder in the right spot, staggering bloom times, smooth flowing edges, a place to sit and enjoy the landscape.

Lately, I’ve been planting groups of perennials with one outlier, so it looks like the perennials are spreading into the landscape.

One of my favorite details of this landscape is a Rat Snake living along the stream bed. I’ve stumbled on it sunning in the water twice this season. I hope to get a picture of it before the end of the year.

All of these details, while seemingly small, add up to an exciting and cozy landscape.