IN MY LADY'S GARDEN 



sunshine, to increase both the size of its clump of roots and 

 the number of its blossoms yearly for at least twelve years. 



The two small plants thus placed on a sheltered terrace in 

 the garden six years ago have now extended themselves into 

 masses of foliage and flower 2 feet across, and each season 

 they have blossomed more abundantly, so that lately it has 

 been no uncommon thing to count forty blooms and buds 

 opening at the same time on either group. Their colour (a 

 rich shade of mauve, touched with white and golden yellow) 

 is most beautiful ; and they possess long stems which, 

 including the style, reach the length of 12 inches, these ! 

 making them most desirable for cutting. 



Being natives of Algeria, they do not, however, enjoy our 

 winter storms ; although the plant is quite hardy the delicate i 

 satin-like petals of their flowers are easily torn by strong 

 winds and soiled by heavy rain ; in bad weather, therefore, , 

 it is advisable to gather those buds which show colour before 

 they open, placing them in tepid water in a warm room, 

 when they will quickly unfurl their petals, expanding their 

 flowers fully within a few hours. The pure white variety 

 (I. stylosa alba) is also a very desirable plant, and there are j 

 several distinct varieties amongst the rest, such as marginata. i 

 which is feathered with white on the falls ; speciosa, with 

 deeper shades of purple ; and lilacasa, a pale mauve variety | 

 which blooms later than the typical plant. There are no 

 more valuable winter flowering plants in the open air than } 

 these irises, and their almost universal neglect in our j 

 gardens is to be deplored. They need no mulching, nor 

 must they have rich soil ; all that they crave is to be left ; 

 severely alone, only requiring a gravelly soil and abundant \ 

 sunshine. They can be planted either directly after they 

 cease to bloom, in April, or in October ; in the latter case 

 it will be desirable to shelter them during their first winter 

 by means of a pane of glass slanting over the plant from the 

 wall, as heavy rain, snow, and severe frost may otherwise 

 injure them, although they take no notice of these things 

 when once established and in full growth. 



January is a trying month for our feathered gardeners, 



26 



