IRISES FROM MARCH TO MID-JULY 



LAWSON GAUL 

 Planting Now for Next Season's Procession of Blooms 



Editors' Note: In response to requests from many readers for copies of The Garden Mag- 

 azine containing " Irises for Succession of Bloom," published several years ago and now out of 

 print, we are presenting this article in revised and up-to-date form with the hope that it will 

 prove as satisfyingly adequate as the original appears to have been. 



F I could have but one flower in my garden, that one 

 would be an Iris! I have little by little learned to 

 know many of this enchanting family, which can be 

 coaxed to make a first appearance about Snowdrop 

 time, and from then on continue to flaunt erect torches of vary- 

 ing height and color until struck down by the hot suns of mid- 



J ul y- 



As immediately after flowering is the best occasion for divid- 

 ing, planting, or transplanting; and as we are planning for an 

 unbroken succession of bloom through the weeks of spring and 

 early summer, let us, for practical convenience, here consider the 

 Irises in the order of their blooming rather than according to 

 any more technical classification. 



The Earliest to Bloom 



THE very first to bloom is the dwarf and elusive reticulata. 

 I have flowered it at Snowdrop time in well prepared soil, 

 enriched with humus (never use organic manure), protected 

 from the north winds, and covered to the depth of six inches 

 with leaves through the winter. It is a tiny, dainty thing, 



deep blue purple, in form somewhat like the Spanish Iris, 

 but much smaller; and like most very early bloomers, short 

 stemmed. If so desired, it may be moved when in flower, pro- 

 vided the plants are kept moist while out of the ground. 



Next in the procession are the pumila varieties, which look 

 quite like German Irises in miniature. First comes the deep 

 purple, of which most gardens possess at least a few; then the 

 much lovelier sky-blue caerulea, and the large flowered white 

 variety, Schneecuppe. The pumilas are quite hardy, and pre- 

 fer a sunny, dry portion of the garden for their home. Used as 

 edging for the taller Irises, dwarf varieties look, to me, "out of 

 drawing"; when they are planted alone in flat drifts near rocks 

 or borders, the effect is so much happier. 



The Alpine and Crimean hybrids follow the pumilas closely; 

 their flowers are both larger and longer stemmed. Stewart is 

 a delicate primrose; and The Bride, of course, pure white; Fairy 

 combines pale and deep blue; and Gracilis is a sweet-scented 

 beauty, silver gray and lavender. 



The Intermediates, resulting from crosses between the tall 

 bearded (German) Irises and the various Crimean hybrids, 



R. S. Sturtevant, Photo. 



WHEN BEARDED IRISES LIFT THEIR MANY-COLORED STANDARDS 



" Irises look happiest if planted in longish, natural appearing groups, with a delicate green 

 or open background." Garden of Mr. R. S. Sturtevant at Wellesley Farms, Mass. 



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