236 Tall Bearded Iris 



For house use the flower-stems may be taken just 

 as the first buds are about to open, and all will open 

 in water; but, except in the case of varieties usually 

 having only a few buds (as, pallida Dalmatica) it is 

 better to wait until one or two buds are fully expanded, 

 as the later buds will then open much better developed. 

 Flowers that come out in water will lose in size and 

 sometimes a little in depth of color. If kept out of 

 direct sunlight they will keep their color better. As 

 the flowers fade pick them off", shorten the stem and 

 change the water, and the remaining buds will all 

 open in succession, and a single stem will sometimes 

 furnish flowers for a week or more. 



The cutting should be done with a sharp knife, and 

 the cut should be slanting to avoid squeezing the 

 stem together and thus reducing the amount of water 

 that can be taken up, and to prevent the ends from 

 being sealed if they should rest upon the bottom of 

 the holder. As in the case of most flowers, it is better 

 to cut them in the early morning. (See under Flowers, 

 Chapter XII.) 



together let us tread 



The morning dews, and gather in their prime 

 Fresh blooming flowers. 



Thompson: The Seasons. 



Form is as dominant a feature of the Iris as color, 

 and therefore the flowers should not be crowded. 

 A few (two or three) flower-stems in a holder, per- 



