86 PRESENT-DAY GARDENING 



and manure, which will also tend to keep the surface 

 loose during the summer, and so prevent loss of moisture 

 by evaporation. 



I. sibirica is at its best early in June, and after that date 

 few Irises can be recommended for the ordinary herbaceous 

 border except the various members of the spuria group. 

 The exceptions, of course, are the well-known Spanish 

 (xiphium) and English (xiphioides) Irises. Of these the 

 former will succeed better in dry and the latter in moist 

 soils. A flower of the spuria group is in many ways very 

 similar to a Spanish Iris. The segments of the flowers of 

 these two species are almost identical in outline, and both 

 exude the curious drops of sticky moisture on the outer 

 surface of the perianth tube. But whether this is or is not 

 the point at which the bulbous and the rhizomatous Irises 

 meet, the spuria group deserves to be represented in any 

 border. All the members have tall, stiff, sword-like leaves 

 of a dark green, topped by a sturdy stem, bearing two or 

 three close-set heads of flowers. The branches do not 

 spread, but rise alongside the main stem, so that the 

 flowers, as they open in succession, beginning at the top- 

 most, produce the effect of being set one below the other 

 on the same stem. 



One of the best known of the group is ochroleuca, 

 white and yellow, while aurea has golden flowers with 

 wavy edges to the petals. Monnieri is a lemon-yellow 

 ochroleuca to all intents and purposes, and ochraurea is a 

 free-flowering hybrid of the two first-mentioned plants. 

 If either of the others fail to flower, ochraurea should be 

 given a trial, and in any case all need rich feeding in 

 autumn and winter, and a certain amount of moisture when 



