Growing a Gift for Your Mother: Dutch Irises

Finding a gift that is meaningful for your mom, sister, aunt or girlfriend can be torture. However, if the special woman in your life enjoys flowers then consider growing her the perfect gift. Dutch irises are a great flower to grow in a container flower garden, as they are reliably beautiful, they are easy to grow and they require little care. If this sounds like a gift you'd like to try then this is what you need to do.

Step One - Find the Perfect Planter

Since this is going to be a gift you will want to find a planter that is nice to look at. You need a good sized planter, one that it is at least eight inches across, so take your time and look around at your options. Ceramic planters work well as do metal tubs. When selecting a planter keep the colors in your special someone's house or apartment in mind. This will help you to select a planter color and style that will compliment her style. In addition to size and look you also need to select a planter that has good drainage.

Step Two - Pick Up Your Supplies

In addition to your planter you will also need a few other items. First you will need a bag of Dutch iris bulbs. These can be found in the gardening section of a home improvement store or in the gardening department of a department store. Dutch irises are the tall purple flowers with a golden-yellow spike of color at their centers. You will also need a bag of potting soil and a small bag of gravel or rocks. If you are low on money you can harvest the rocks and soil from your backyard.

Step Three - Plant Your Bulbs

The planting process is very simple. Start by adding about an inch of gravel to the bottom of your planter. This will help to keep your soil in while allowing excess moisture to flow out. Then add a couple inches of soil to the planter. Now you are ready to add your bulbs. You need to plant your Dutch iris bulbs about three inches apart with the pointy ends looking up to the sky. The number of bulbs that you plant in your planter needs to make sense for the size of the planter that you are using. For example, if you have a planter that 12 inches across then you can plant seven or eight bulbs. The rule of thumb is to plant 5/8 bulbs per diameter inch of planter. Cover your bulbs with a couple of inches of soil, water them well and place them in direct sunlight.

Step Four - Giving the Gift

You have a couple of options in regards to how you deliver your Dutch iris container garden. Your first option is to plant the bulbs and to then give the container to your special lady right away. This option allows her to watch the bulbs grow and bloom. This option also means less work for you. The second option is to plant the bulbs early and wait until their sprout before giving them as a gift. This option takes longer and will require that you water and care for the plants until you give them away as a gift.