126 FAMILIAR GARDEN FLOWERS. 



The common iris, or " flag-," is Iris Germanica. This 

 is well known by its distinct sabre-shaped leaves and 

 noble blue flowers. It may be seen everywhere in London 

 gardens, and yet where a London garden is managed in 

 first-rate style, it cannot be counted among the most 

 desirable plants for it. But we have now to do with 

 its intrinsic merit, which is known to all. Given an 

 ample range of border enclosing- a croquet or bowling- 

 green, or a free range of woodland walks, and we have 

 a suitable domain for a collection of varieties of German 

 iris, of which there are about fifty in cultivation. These 

 present us with all possible colours save pure yellow and 

 pure scarlet. They are wonderful in shades of blue, 

 purple, lilac, lavender, brown, orange, buff, and pearly 

 grey, put on in blotches, patches, circles, spots, marginal 

 lines, and delicate pencilling^. Any garden would be rich 

 with a collection of these, and to examine and criticise 

 them when in flower would afford many a summer clay's 

 delight. Any good deep ga'rden soil will suit the German 

 iris. 



Another remarkable section of the family is that known 

 to botanists as Iris lavigarta, but in ga'rdens denominated 

 Iris Kampferi. This species has been for centuries cul- 

 tivated by the Japanese, and the best of their varieties 

 have been subjected to comparison and improvement in 

 Holland and Germany, and one result is that the named 

 sorts now available for the English garden are as worthy 

 of a place in it as any hardy plants known. They differ 

 from all other irises in the size of the flowers as compared 

 with the leaves, the large lobes of the flowers, and the 

 predominance of rich deep hues of crimson and purple 

 with other colours amongst them. A rich deep soil and 



