One thing you might do is pair iris up with other perennials that enjoy same conditions they do. For example iris culture lends itself well to the culture of:
Daylilies,
Gaillardia,
Nepeta,
Rudbeckia,
Salvia,
Dianthus,
Artemesia,
Penstemon,
various grasses,
Oenothera -- all of these perennials when established appreciate sunny well drained soil, that can dry out occasionally and will give you color most of the season.
Timmba

Add Garden Phlox, Crocosmia, Lilies (Asiatic, Oriental, Trumpet and Orienpet), Columbines, Siberian Iris, Delphiniums, Asters, Chrysanthemums. As you state, the key is good air drainage around the base of the iris plants. I follow the local lead and plant the rhizome below the surface of the soil, the air and sunshine on the soil being most important.

Timmba's list of plants which grow well with Iris is very good. Here are some combinations, including some from that list, that I use in my garden which consists of mostly mixed borders. I love Iris and enjoy this forum, but do not have the soil conditions or space to grow many Iris, but maybe this will give you some ideas on the range of plantings that you can work Iris into. :~)

I grow most of my Tall Bearded Iris in my daylily bed near the patio, which is one of the driest areas in my yard. There are two dozen daylilies in the bed, most of which are only 18-20 inches tall.

With them I grow a Baptisia Purple Smoke (shrub size) and a topiary evergreen and several other shrubs for some structure, but most of the bed is kept low so that I can see out into the rest of the garden. The 1/2 dozen large Iris clumps are used for both color early in the season and as vertical punctuations in an otherwise fairly flat looking bed.

Except for the baptisia, all the shrubs and daylilies were added to the bed first and were reasonably well-established (and well-watered as new plants) before I added the iris and other perennials.

In addition to the Iris, there is one Walker's Low Catmint, a good sized grouping of May Night Salvia on one side, another of Caradonna Salvia for slightly redder blue purple on the other, and several winding patches of Red Baron grass along the path. Knautia Macedonica (which spreads like crazy), Guara Whirling Butterflies, & a variety of early and late hardy lilies are added here and there. None of these plantings need any supplemental water during the summer which greatly helps the Iris.

The color begins in early spring with several large masses of Iris reticulata. I have had good luck with both Harmony and Pixie (both deep blues)in this bed but virtually no return from Iris danfordiae (a bright yellow).

The Iris reticulata is following by other small bulbs such as crocus and then by the Tall Bearded Iris and Alliums. At this point the DLs, which are fairly small to begin with, provide a mostly green curved & strappy carpeting for the more upright Iris. The Alliums, Giganteum and Globemaster with their tall round orbs, mostly follow after the Iris, but there can be some overlap at times, so you need to be a bit careful with the colors here.

The Daylilies begin in late June along with most of the other later perennials. The gaura and the short Red Barrons grass look their best in late summer and early fall. The Iris foliage stays pretty clean in this bed and adds a nice accent.

As this bed turns the corner and becomes more shady I use a lot of Iris pallida for the creamy variegated foliage mixed in with the hostas and ferns. Any bloom on these I consider a bonus. This area also has several more patches of the early spring blooming reticulata and other minor bulbs, but also has a nice clump (variety unknown) of yellow and white Tall Bearded Iris on an outside edge - which surprisingly doesn't mind the part shade.

In addition to these Iris, I grow many clumps of Siberian Iris in my shrub border in the lower (and wetter) yard and have a raised gravel bed which has 5 different clumps of dwarf bearded Iris (sold as Pumila group - whatever that means) that are doing quite well. These are grown with all kinds of early spring alpine type plants and some later blooming penstemons, dwarf gaillardias & tiny salvias.

BTW, the biggest problem with growing Iris for me, besides a mostly wet clay soil yard, is fighting my way into those few areas where they can grow, to divide them. Hope this helps give you some ideas. Leslie

I have one huge bed, (100'x20 curving to and fro). I get lots of different things and just plant where theres an empty space, which isn't much anymore. The plants that are closest to my Irises are tall Lilies and Coneflowers. All seem to grow just fine. The garden is in full sun and if what I buy doesn't like it there thats too bad for it. LOl!!I don't water very often unless it doesn't rain for 10 days. It does have a thick layer of red cedar mulch all over. The Irises worked their way to the top of the mulch and do very well among the rest. I think that the LILIES (bulb type) have sparce enough foliage to let the sun thru to dry thing out if it gets too wet. The coneflowers are very thick but they are on the side away from the Irises. I also have Shasta Daisy on the morning side of the Irises. They are very thick also but again the sun is on the Itis by 10am. I think a little thought about exactly where you place the Irises according to the sun and you'll be fine.I have to keep pulling up the Coneflowers away from the Iris. The only problem I have with my Irises is since they came to the surface of the mulch themselves now the grass and wedds take root in the rhyzomes, daily weeding and its fine. People tell me they think I could plant thing upside down and it will grow for me because I do very little care of things. True I guess I let mother nature care for her stuff but I place it well. How about Coreopsis, Monarda, lilium, Phlox? something with not to thick foliage?