CHAPTER II 



THE IRIS GARDEN 



HARDY flowers, after many years of neglect, have long 

 since captured the affections and regard of all classes 

 of society, yet even to-day we witness an increasing 

 love for them which promises well for the intelligent 

 gardening of the future. While many beautiful flowers 

 were lost sight of during a considerable part of the 

 recently closed century, Irises were always more or less 

 popular at any rate in cottage gardens and probably 

 there is no out-door genus of plants which can vie with Iris 

 for the number of its good qualities. One kind or another 

 will be found in flower over quite nine months of the 

 year. Many kinds are exceedingly beautiful, and some, 

 indeed, have no rival in point of beauty ; a large number 

 are so easy to grow that success is certain by any culti- 

 vator in any garden, yet others present difficulties which 

 worthily excite the continued perseverance of the most 

 skilful of gardeners. There is no merit, perhaps, in 

 any plant for its difficulty of culture, but those here 

 referred to have a rich reward for those who attain 

 success. It is a genus par excellence for the intellectual 

 specialist, and nothing, at the present time, is more to be 

 desired in the interests of horticulture than a large 

 increase in the number of specialists in all classes of plants. 

 It is with this idea that we think of the Iris garden. Many 

 people are far too narrow and limited in their interests, 

 indeed we are compelled to admit that many are satisfied 

 with mere prettiness, and really care nothing about the 



