In midsummer,in my big western garden, after the bearded iris and peony duet of bloom is only a memory, the beardless Japanese iris bloom with great abandon and style. I have them around my fountain where the ground is soggy. As they like to grow in bogs, however they will also grow well in ordinary garden beds, as long as they are watered well when they are first planted and in periods of drought. Plant this iris before late August so that they will bloom for you next spring. They prefer some acidity so use fertilizers developed for azaleas and rhododendrons and you can mulch them also with pine needles. Feed in early spring and again in early summer. They love well rotted manure too. The rhizomes are set about 2 inches deep and are not troubled much by disease. And the large flat flowers are so dramatic that just one bud placed in a vase is breath-taking when it opens. There is a great colors and petal variation thanks to the persistence and skill of many generations of Japanese breeders. There are pure whites, light blues, delicate pinks and lavenders, deep rich magentas and royal blues and purples. Do be careful when you dead head, as a new bud may be nestled beside a faded flower.