The Iris Walk in May 



background. A Judas tree, Cercis Siliquastrum, leans out 

 over the Irises, but not a very large specimen, as my forbears 

 forgot to plant one, and it is one of the trees that a thoughtful 

 great-grandfather should plant for his descendants. So 

 this is of my planting, but has grown quickly and flowered 

 well in some seasons, and seems to be an especially brightly 

 coloured variety, approaching a crimson, though not of so 

 deep a shade as the flowers of a glorious row I saw in full 

 bloom in the chief square of Corfu one Spring. The whole 

 front of this bed is planted with a band some 8 feet deep 

 and 20 yards long of Iris florentina, with every now 

 and then a clump of I. germanica among them. At first 

 it was all florentina, but a purple germanica got in by 

 accident, and I saw how greatly its presence improved the 

 general effect, which was rather too cold before, so I 

 planted others at regular intervals. When this bed is in 

 full glory in the middle of May it is as beautiful as 

 anything in the garden, whether viewed end on to get the 

 solid mass of blossoms or from the opposite bank to see 

 the line of grey and purple flowers reflected in the water. 

 Looking eastward you get the bend of the river as back- 

 ground, and the terrace with its beds of Darwin Tulips 

 reflected in it, and the other way looking down westward, 

 the view is blocked by a fine old Weeping Willow, growing 

 on the pond bank and hanging right over the grass path, 

 so that we have to keep an arch cut in it to make a way 

 through. Next to the Willow is a good specimen of the 

 Weeping Ash which carries on the series of arches, and 

 makes when in leaf a very pleasing colour-contrast with 

 the paler green Willow. The Weeping Willow is a tree 

 that is full of interesting associations, so we will sit on the 

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