Here is picture of iris in our front stream. This is a rubber liner stream with gravel and boulders placed on top of it to create it's own ecosystem. When you use this system, we use only Aquascape Designs systems, you place the marginal plant right in the stone in the bottom of the stream or along the edge of the pond.

The roots become established in the gravel and draw nutrients out of the water and starve single cell algae which result in a crystal clear pond. Our 6' tall iris in our other pond can verify they are getting all the nutrients they need.

In the fall, we simply cut the iris back like we would any other perennial and it pushes out the next spring just like a soil planted perennial.