Hardy in zones four through nine, rhizomes can be planted from October to March. However, Japanese Iris grown from seed are smaller but bloom with exquisitely elegant flowers.

The Japanese Iris is an extremely beautiful waterside plant that exhibits breath-taking reflections when placed near water’s edge, During summer, many gardeners pot Japanese Iris and place them at ponds edge or in shallow tubs of water. However, in winter pots need to be removed from standing water to keep rhizomes from rotting. When planting Japanese Iris in a perennial garden, mulch helps retain abundant moisture they love as well as controlling weeds.

Japanese Iris do best in acidic soil in full sun to part shade. Rhizomes are typically planted 2-inches deep and 18 inches apart. Plants should be lifted and divided every three to four years, either after flowering is finished or in fall.

Although Japanese Iris is beautiful in all its variations, unusual patterns and shapes of red-violet cultivars add distinction to any perennial garden.

There is also trumpet honeysuckle, which has clusters of red and yellow perfumed flowers; and climbing hydrangea, with its large white clusters. Some of annual vines, such as hyacinth bean which grows on strings and has many flowers, or scarlet runner bean which has showy flowers, are good for shade, too.

For covering banks and ground where you have difficulty with grass, you might try periwinkle (also called running myrtle), an evergreen which has blue flowers all summer. Another evergreen is pachysandra, mentioned elsewhere; and there is moneywort which flattens against ground.

Some attractive and fragrant-blossoming annuals that you might also consider are: nasturtium; bal-foon vine, which is good to cover fences; cypress vine, with a large number of small star-shaped flowers in orange, red and white, and familiar morning-glory and moonflower plants.