^ "January and February ^ 



a certain amount of protection, they are apt to be ruined 

 by heavy rain. There is a white variety (/. stylosa alba) 

 which is not so attractive ; also, as a rule, it flowers later. 

 /. stylosa speciosa has even larger lavender flowers than the 

 ordinary /. stylosa. The lovely /. histrioides cilicia, which 

 is a native of Palestine, and grows on Mount Lebanon, 

 also flowers in January both in the north and south of 

 England. It does well facing west in full sun, and makes 

 a splash of colour with its flash of orange gold down the 

 centre of each fall. The violet-scented /. reticulata is 

 one of the easiest of the early-flowering irises to grow, 

 and even where space is limited it is well worth giving 

 room to a tiny group of them. The deep violet-coloured 

 form (the original type) is not a very attractive colour out 

 of doors in midwinter, but the flowers look beautiful in 

 a shallow bowl with variegated holly, as the yellow leaves 

 show up the violet blooms, and the scent in a warm room 

 is delicious. The origin of the deep violet-coloured 

 /. reticulata is uncertain, for it is unknown in a wild 

 state. In the opinion of the late Mr. Dykes, it may 

 have been a hybrid from /. reticulata x /. histrioides : 

 the deep reddish-purple form /. reticulata var. Krelagei 

 comes from the Caucasus. Of the two pale blue forms, 

 J. cyana is the wild pale blue, and Cantab, a garden 

 seedling. There were some wonderful seedling irises 

 shown this month (February) at one of the R.H.S. shows. 

 One exhibit of new seedlings (/. reticulata X /. Krelagei) 

 varied in colour from pure white to gentian blue, wine, 

 purple and maroon, all with a gold flash on the fall. 

 Another exhibit all of sapphire blue looked, as someone 

 said, 'like a pool of blue water ruffled by the wind.' 

 In February the constellations of the crocuses shine 



23 



