Your bearded irises might need rejuvenating
Bearded irises can soon become overcrowded and shaded from baking in the sun which they need to bulk up the rhizomes to ensure good flowering the following year. Flowering was very poor with mine this spring so Ella and I set about replanting them.
The next stage is to replenish and dig over the soil. If you can prepare a three-part equal mixture of garden soil, horticultural grit and leaf mould, that is ideal.
Now prepare the rhizomes by splitting them from the clump, breaking off any old parts of the rhizome and selecting strong, new ones to replant.
When you are planting the rhizomes keep in mind that you want them to get plenty of sun. So space them out evenly on the soil with the rhizomes facing the sun. The aim is to anchor the roots firmly in the soil while keeping the rhizome itself on top of the soil so it can be sun-baked during the summer months.
Your newly planted bed will flower well and probably be good for the next 3 years. Then you will need to do the whole thing again. But the flowers are definitely worth it.
You will no doubt find that you have lots of viable rhizomes left over. I certainly have right now, so if you would like some please contact me on jane.y.c@icloud.com