THE JUNO GROUP 17 



broad falls are light blue with a brilliant central line of gold 

 colour, and the standards of a slightly deeper shade of purple. 

 To ensure success the bulbs must be very liberally treated 

 with old manure, placed some inches below their bases, and 

 given the warmest and most sheltered corner of the garden. 

 Even then success is not certain, for a late spring frost 

 may kill all our hopes of seeing /. tingitana in flower. 



The Algerian /. juncea is valuable for its deep yellow 

 colour, but it is rather tender, and often fails to ripen its 

 bulbs after flowering. I. Boissieri is even more difficult to 

 keep, but it is worth an effort for the sake of its brilliantly 

 coloured flowers of contrasting blue and red purple, set 

 off by a scanty beard of golden hairs. With one rare 

 exception, namely, /. Tubergeniana, I. Boissieri is the only 

 bulbous Iris that can boast of a conspicuous beard. 



CHAPTER V 



BULBOUS IRISES (continued) 



III. THE JUNO GROUP 



THIS section is based upon the peculiarity of the structure 

 of the bulbs, which still retain some thick fleshy roots even 

 in the resting state. 



The first to flower is /. alata from the western shores of 

 the Mediterranean. It is now so largely imported that bulbs 

 can be purchased for little more than a penny apiece, and 

 at this price it may be well worth a shilling or two to ensure 



B 



