Round the Year in the Garden 



deeply. It is necessary merely to cover the rhizome (as 

 the rootstock is called) very slightly, certainly with not 

 more than 1 inch of soil. The Flag Irises greatly dislike 

 being disturbed. Usually they do not blossom the first 

 season after planting, so, in choosing a place for them, 

 one should decide that the plants are to remain there- 

 There are many charming varieties among the Bearded 

 Flag Irises, from which one may choose albo-caerulea, 

 white with blue flush ; Darius, yellow and purple ; Floren- 

 tina, creamy white ; Germanica, the common purple kind ; 

 Gracchus, yellow ; Madame Chereau, white and blue ; 

 pallida dalmatica, lavender blue ; and Victorine, blue and 

 purple. The petals of the Iris are classified as standards 

 and falls ; the standards are the upright petals and the 

 falls are the drooping ones. The colour of the standards 

 is frequently distinct from that of the falls. 



The dwarf Bearded Flag Irises are not commonly met 

 with in amateurs' gardens, yet their early flowering 

 should commend them for planting in the rock garden 

 or on a sunny border. There they yield welcome bloom 

 in spring and early summer before the ordinary Flag 

 Irises are out. 



Among the Beardless Flag Irises (the distinction be- 

 tween these and the Bearded kinds is chiefly that there 

 are hairs on the falls of the latter and not on those 

 of the former) deserving of particular mention are the 

 Siberian Iris (sibirica), a lovely pale blue kind that thrives 

 especially well by the waterside ; the vigorous Iris 

 orientalis, yellow and white ; Iris Missouriensis, pale blue 

 and yellow ; Iris Monnieri, light yellow, a strong growing 

 sort ; and Iris graminea, blue and purple. The beautiful 

 winter-flowering Algerian Iris (unguicularis or stylosa) 

 is classed among the Beardless kinds also. Everyone 

 should grow a plant or two of this for the sake of its 

 fragrant, lavender-coloured blossoms in winter. It must 

 be planted on a warm, sunny border, preferably at the 

 foot of a wall, and thrives best in light soil. 



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