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The Readers Digest Guide to Gardening
This is the book I use for all the techniques and knowledge I have for "green fingers" From its advice rarely do I lose a plant anymore and I have great success with cuttings. It has an excellent section on the  different types of iries, what they all look like, and how to grow them. Highly recommended.
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Iris and its uses in floral art. 

Family: Iridaceace

Common Names: Iris, bearded iris, common iris, flag iris, German iris, Dutch Iris, crested iris, reticulata, laevigatas, sibiricas,
Characteristics: The iris is a large genus with 2 different root systems, the bulb as in iris reticulata and the rhizome.They are an ancient flower recorded as being cultivated in parts of Asia well over 2000 years ago.
The most popular rhizomes are the bearded iris , long known as the flag iris,  which have fleshy hairs like a beard on the outer petals.They can be  tall, intermediate, or semi dwarf in white, pink, blue, gold,  red, and combinations of all these.
The  bearded iris rhizome  sits on the surface of the soil and the roots go down into the earth, as the rhizome likes to feel the sun on its surface, rather like me! The crested and  beardless iris rhizomes are planted below the soil.
The rhizomes  are propagated by division into smaller pieces  after flowering in summer,  or growing buds can be taken off the sides of the rhizomes  when they are still very small.
The bulbous  reticulata irises, Spanish, English, and Dutch   are increased by natural division of the bulbs.
Try using an iris with its orange complement or  yellow, it makes for a dramatic effect as Tricia found in one of her  recent designs, part of which is pictured above.		 The iris is an old fashioned flower usually used in traditional designs as it creates a definite line and it looks wonderful in grand period displays. It can be a strong element in a modern design, if grouped  or as a focal point.

Condition them by placing them in deep water for 3 hours  before arranging them in floral foam. I found mine lasted only 4 days but I bought them from a supermarket and they may have been there for a while.Buy them in bud and  they will have a longer arrangement life.
The flowers can be cut as the bud is about to open as they will continue to develop after they have been arranged.
You can also cut the ends of the stems on a slant and remove each flower as it fades to encourage the new buds to open.
Because of this short life think about a pot et fleur, bringing your potted iris inside to make a stunning arrangement  while it flowers.
Paul Thomas, in his book "The Art of Floral Design" gives you step by step instructions on creating a pot et fleur with an assortment of plants, including  yellow irises.He also uses them in another  design in his book, for a country basket.More...
A Guide to Species Irises : Their Identification and Cultivation:

The work includes all of the species which have been described so far, bringing together information currently scattered throughout the literature. Accurate line drawings, colour pictures of unusual species and distribution maps increase the appeal  for professionals and amateurs alike. 

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