Braided Iris germanica, tall bearded iris leaves
Above is a free form basket using the iris braid as weavers, along with other materials. The ring and stakes are grape vine, or the stakes might be honeysuckle, not sure. It was made a long time ago.
I became interested in baskets in the mid 1980s. We had moved to southern California from a small town in middle Pennsylvania. It was a culture shock to say the least. But there was lots to do and see there, including an arts festival in Laguna Beach, the Sawdust Festival. One of the stands featured baskets made from landscape materials, some made with pine needles. Our front yard was filled with Canary Island Pines that dropped needles nearly continuously. We could not afford the baskets, but did purchase a book about baskets made from nature’s bounty. I made a small pine needle basket, it was harder than I thought and didn’t turn out that great.
Three years later we moved to a town in upper east Tennessee. Some new friends there were taking a basket class and invited me to come along. I jumped at the chance and took many, many sessions of classes, long after the friends had had enough of it. I was obsessed. After mastering the basic techniques well enough to be able to make some simple baskets without instruction, we looked into the garden for materials.
This is one of the first baskets made from the garden. The ring and handle are bunches of Vinca minor stems (not a good choice, too brittle), the weavers are lavender sticks (also too brittle) and single iris leaves. It was noticed during garden clean up of the large iris bed that the mottled leaves were not only attractive but very strong. Unlike the daylily leaves that would tear easily, the iris leaves were composed of fibers that held even with a firm tug. Removing the dying iris leaves was also good gardening practice for slugs and snails like to hide in the decaying matter as well as the dreaded iris borer. Thinking of a way to put the leaves to good use, and being in the mode of trying anything and everything from which to make baskets, it was decided that braiding the leaves would make for stronger weavers. The free form basket in the second photo was the first basket made using that material. Even after more than twenty years, the basket is still strong and solid. (The above basket is filled with moon snail shells collected from the beach in South Carolina some time ago.)
Are you ready to learn more? Timing is everything.
The time is right, now is when to look for iris leaves at the peak of perfection for making braids to be used now or later for basket weaving. The signs are the leaves beginning to turn tan as the chlorophyll says goodbye for another year.
This is just what we want, still intact and completely tan, no green. The leaf should dislodge from the rhizome with a gentle pull. Gather a couple of dozen more or less to begin.
Put the leaves in some water in a bucket. They don’t have to soak for long, but should be thoroughly wetted. They will stay in the bucket while you work. Ignore that green one, it was not used and should not have been picked. It is not ready.
Before you begin, find a comfy chair outdoors that can get wet. Wear old clothes or a sheet of plastic over your lap. Have another chair in front of you to hold the braid, seen in upcoming photos. Start by selecting two pieces. Fold one in half, add the other and begin braiding the three pieces, the one folded making two.
Getting the first couple of inches done is the hardest part. After that, fasten the braid with a clothespin or clamp to the extra chair in front of you that I told you to get before. Get comfortable, keep your back straight, legs apart for stability. You’ll thank me later. Have the bucket of leaves on a bench or something so that you don’t have to reach in an awkward position to get more leaves, for you will be doing that almost constantly.
Braid with a foldover, not a twist as you go. This will give a neater look and also make the braid stronger.
Add another leaf to the shortest piece when it is about six to eight inches long. Don’t wait until you are down to the very end or it will be likely to pull apart during basket weaving. I usually add the pointed end of the leaf to the existing piece, then you will have a double thickness for the more narrow part of the leaf. Keep adding new leaves as needed to the shortening pieces as you braid, never letting the braid piece get too thin either, in case you have picked a less than perfect leaf. Having selected the largest iris leaves to harvest will pay off now as every leaf you pull from the bucket is of consistent size and strength, hopefully, but the weak ones sometimes sneak into the bundle. Continue braiding, moving the work up and over the chair top and refastening the clothespin to keep it at a comfortable position for you.
Occasionally the end piece of the leaf, the part that was attached to the rhizome will be larger than the braidings. We consider this to add character and simply braid around it, letting it stick out, braiding firmly but with not too much pulling to break or tear the leaves. You will get really efficient at this quickly. It is fun!
If you need to stop before all the leaves have been used, because your hands are hurting or there is something else that needs your attention, clip the braiding end with the clothespin. You can leave the leaves in the bucket of water, but not for hours or overnight. They will start to disintegrate and be unusable with too much soaking. It is best to pick only what you are going to use at one sitting and work straight through, with rest periods for sore, aging hands of course. This is the reason why the braiding sessions need to coincide with the perfect timing of the browning of the leaves. Green color gone, but still strong and intact is the best time to use the iris leaves. (Ignore the green part, it is not supposed to be there. Do as I say, not as I do.)
When you have used all the leaves, tie the end into a knot.
Here is the finished product, about six feet in length. That is about the right length to use of any material to weave a basket. Longer and it will begin to fray from being handled so much as it is woven in and out, no matter the method used. You want it as long as possible so there are fewer joinings, always a weak point in a basket and the idea is for it to be strong. You wouldn’t want it to fall apart after putting so much effort into it. This piece will be hung in the shed to dry until it is needed.
Here is another basket made many years ago using a lavender root and stem as the handle. The ring is several stems of grapevine, the stakes are , hmm, I don’t know. I think it might be purchased smoked round reed. The blue is purchased reed, what most baskets are made of, that has been dyed using Rit Dye. After the blue weaving is iris leaf braid then the remainder is woven with braid made from smartweed which was everywhere in our garden. It, the grass like plant, was difficult to braid, using handfuls of the blades and stems to have enough thickness to be strong. This basket is messy, always leaving debris wherever it is resting. The bird house gourd was grown when we lived in Texas, where we moved after nine years at the other Tennessee house. (We have been back in Tennessee, in another town for ten years after three years in Texas.) We still have quite a few of those gourds from that one year. The secret to success was that the seeds were planted at the base of the compost bin and watered by the inground irrigation system at that house.
Back to the topic, this how to post will not show how to make baskets. I suggest you take a course with some friends at a shop that sells the materials. Take the course several times and acquire the skill to be able to make a basket out of anything you can get your hands on. We did sell some of our baskets, gave many as gifts and still have several. Or you can use the iris braids in whatever way your brain leads. Wreaths, swags, please let me know if you have other ideas!
Isn’t it nice to make something useful from something so beautiful?
Iris germanica ‘Champagne Elegance’
Addendum:
There is one other type of leaf that has been braided to make a basket. In 2002 we found some seeds for Sorghum vulgare, broomcorn, while on a trip to Colonial Williamsburg, Virginia. The seeds were started in the greenhouse the following spring, planted out, and grew well. The stalks were harvested to make some brooms, the post about it can be seen by clicking here-Brooms. The leaves were stripped off the plants as part of the broom making process and seemed too wonderful to toss into the compost. They were soaked and braided per the instructions above, then made into a basket as a two part wedding gift for offspring Semi, with some money plant, Lunaria annua thrown in for good financial feng shui. The broom that was used at the end of the wedding ceremony, jumped over as they left the church hangs on the wall at their house. It often gets commented upon, as you can imagine.
For other How To posts written by Fairegarden, look for How To on the sidebar page listing or click here.
Frances
Fairegarden 
Dear Frances, I have been utterly absorbed by this posting and know, right now, that I shall never be able to construct such intricate pieces of ‘garden art’ which you refer to as a basket. You have such an artistic eye, such patience and attention to detail and the final results are lovely.
The closest I have come to braiding, or ‘plaiting’ as I have always known it, was through the pigtails that I sported as a small child. When a ‘friend’ cut one in half as a joke, plaits and I were never reacquainted.
I used to watch my daughter and her friends braid one another’s hair prior to softball tournaments.They would color it too, of course. I really enjoyed the turquoise team she played for, lol. Anyway, we’re talking far more patience than I fear I will ever have. It looked intimate and fun and very ‘bonding’ – but it sure aint me, lol. Having said that, I definitely admire the craft and love reading about it.
Thank you for the interesting post. I learned something today about an old art. I did not realize that beautiful and unique baskets can be made from what is basically garden debris. I was engrossed in every word. Like you, I went with a friend to learn stained glass, and took so many classes to learn different techniques. The friend who suggested it lost interest, but I continued. I know I would feel the same about basket making after reading your informative post.
Dear Frances, I am so glad you shared your basket making history with us. They are beautiful and so are the brooms you’ve made. I had no idea that almost all the materials came from your gardens~that’s fantastic. Also, very glad I read the comments and learned that all baskets are hand made. xxgail
You’ve provided a great tutorial/inspiration. I’m always amazed at those proficient at weaving. Have you ever seen the baskets woven by the ladies in Charleston, SC? They command hundreds of dollars per basket. About the only thing that I’ve ever braided is the “hunter” mane and tail of my Arabian mare for showing back when I was in my 20s.
Frances, You are a woman of many talents. This is fantastic. I have always admired baskets and basket makers. You have to have stamina to do all that braiding and then your artistic eye to actually put it together. You are an inspiration. I have never been able to braid hair let alone iris leaves. Sigh~~
Very creative Frances! I never thought of using the leaves of the irises for anything.
These baskets are so earthy and wonderful. What a perfect way to use leaves, roots, stems, and stalks from the garden. Your instructions are so tempting to try, but then I’d hang the braids to dry and probably never get around to learning how to weave a basket.
Wonderful post! Thank you for sharing your experiences and knowledge.
I have always loved baskets and have wanted to learn how to make them. It has always fascinated me how intricate they can be–how useful they are–and how much we take them for granted. Your “how-to” highlights just how much work goes into something we often use and throw away (shudder!) without thinking. Truly an art form that is as old as mankind. I always look at the basketry in antique stores or museums and marvel at the workmanship. My gardeners hat is off to you for continuing this ancient tradition! What an enjoyable post!
Weaving something useful from available materials is a new consideration for me other than a few attempts with vine wreaths. Thanks for the inspiration.
WOW, looks like something I could do. Certainly easier than the embroidery I’m learning. Adding it to my to do list.
The broom is very pretty. We make brooms from dry coconut leaves.
Your baskets are amazing. I weave with reed and have done a few ribbed baskets. I’ve never seen a basket with iris leaves. Thanks for the post!
Nancy
Frances, this post is wonderful! I have always been fascinated by baskets as well as basket makers… I do want to give it a try!
I love baskets but have never successfully made one, although I have tried several times. Of course, I never actually took a course, which may have something to do with my lack of success. I do own several wonderful baskets, mostly they are composed of oak laths.
All I could think while reading this post was “Like I don’t already have enough to do!!” as I found myself becoming inspired by the idea of harvesting iris leaves (Oh, I have LOTS of irises) and braiding them. Perhaps it is as well that I maintain my focus because due to GGW and Saxon Holt I have decided to convert the front yard into meadow/prairie garden. Needless to say this is going to be time consuming. . .
Amazing Frances! I’d never thought to braid Iris leaves. I have lots of ’em and may give it a try. Guess I’d need to go out in the woods and find some twigs though or something to use with the braiding. O’well one thing at a time. Let’s see if I can even braid one first. 😉
Frances, that is one of the most interesting things I’ve ever seen made from leavings of the garden. I tweeted the post for you cause it was so good.~~Dee
Not bad, not bad at all, I must said to you a big bravo. It’s beautiful.
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My daughter has a book on this topic: Baskets from Nature’s Bounty She made me a basket from multiflora rose branches. She had to de-thorn them all.
I know the post was about the iris weavers, which was extremely interesting. But I L-O-V-E that broom. 😉 I have a bunch of irises that I’ll have to check for the proper stage of done-ness. I tried a pine needle basket in my Carolina living days, but wasn’t up to it. I’ll have to see what other basket makings I can find. 🙂
Great post! My Mom was a great basket maker and used many unusual materials to make her baskets. My favorite is made of pine needles and has a pine cone knob on the lid. Making baskets from gardening materials is very interesting and something that even she has never thought of.
That is so cool that you make your own baskets. And out of Iris leaves. Awesome!
It makes me think… I only have one large bearded iris plant in my garden. And that surely isn’t enough… I just saw some on the 50% off table at the garden center today. Although if you see my current post on my garden blog – well – maybe not such a good idea. Then again there is always time to teach my 2.5 year old how to braid while sitting outside enjoying the garden – even if her fingers can’t quite get it this year. She’ll love helping me gather the materials and helping me fold them into the braid… for a bit anyway.
Thank you for sharing such wonderful garden craft projects!
Hugely resourceful. I had no idea you could use Iris for this! Very crafty.
I am tempted to print this out and store it away for the day when I have enough irises and enough time to try it. I love braiding and baskets – and irises, too, of course. Long ago I made a wreath out of cornhusks. Though no braiding was involved, it seems that handling the materials was similar.
Frances, this is very clever. You would be extremely useful to be stranded with on an island. All sorts of shelters and rafts would be quickly whipped up from anything lying around. It would be good if you were trapped in a tall tower like Rapunzel: instead of using your hair you could make an excape rope out of Irises. This is a massive technological advance on the daisy chain.
Frances, you never cease to amaze me with all your talents. Basketmaking is an art I’ve never attempted; I had no idea you could use so many different materials. I may never get around to weaving iris leaves, but you have given me a very practical idea for next year–plants gourds next to my compost bin! At least there they wouldn’t take up valuable veggie garden space.
Frances, I found your post through the Old Bulbs Gazette this morning and I love it. If there is one thing I have an abundance of here on our property it is Iris. Now when I clean up I can do something constructive with the remains. My favorite of your pictured baskets is the tall one with the Money plant in it. Simply lovely! Thank you for the great ideas and instructions, Lynda
A friend asked if I would be interested in this project. I have hundreds of iris but never knew their leaves could be put to good use. I own several varieties of iris: pseudacorus, siberian and spuria. Have you tried these varieties for weaving?