The Irises In Our Small Garden— By Florence Spring, 



Mass- 

 achusetts 



BEING AN INTRODUCTION TO THE GREAT CHARMS OF THIS RICH FAMILY WHICH CAN BE SO EASILY 

 ACCOMMODATED IN VERY LITTLE SPACE— OBSERVE THE FLOWERS NOW AND PLACE YOUR ORDER FOR ROOTS 





WE MAKE 

 ' ™ rather a spe- 

 cialty of iris in our 

 garden, and our suc- 

 cess with the family, 

 and the pleasure 

 which its stately 

 beauty, rainbow-like 

 colors, and queenly 

 habit of growth, 

 gives to us and our 

 friends, tempts me 

 to urge those who 

 have not yet made 

 the intimate ac- 

 quaintance of its 

 various members to 

 start some roots 

 this coming fall or 

 spring. I know of 

 no other plant which 

 will so richly reward 

 the flower-lover, while requiring compara- 

 tively little care and trouble. You can 

 look at the different varieties as they 

 flower this season, and selecting what you 

 like best, plant the roots in September. 

 All nurseries have some irises, and a few 

 specialize. 



The finest blooms are obtained from old 

 roots. Therefore, for the time-restricted 

 amateur, whose duties are many, irises 

 offer a great advantage over those plants 

 which require, for their best well-being, 

 dividing and moving into new quarters 

 at longer or shorter intervals. It has 

 always depressed me to read the cheerful 

 directions in the flower books as to "mov- 

 ing and dividing all perennials every few 

 years"; "all borders should be dug over, 

 old soil taken out, and replaced with new 



One of the early spring flowers Is the baby iris. 

 /. pumila 



By far the most real in their summer beauty, the Japanese irises are worth any little extra troubl 



loam and manure often"; "Phloxes, asters, 

 and all hardy plants must be divided and 

 reset," etc., etc. 



I have a guilty feeling when I look at 

 my one perennial border, and secretly 

 reflect how many years it is since its "old 

 inhabitants" have been deposed, and their 

 places filled with ambitious and active 

 young aspirants for our favor. True the 

 dear old "border" still delights us with 

 its flowery luxuriance, and also true, that 

 we are often while digging and delving in 

 the brown earth at its roots, interrup- 

 ted by some person who wants to ask the 

 name of our gorgeous mass of Coquelicot 

 phlox, which we have cannily placed at the 

 very end — near the street — to be beheld 

 of all beholders; or to beg for a root of our 

 beautiful Madame Chereau, most aris- 

 tocratic of all the irises — but in spite of 

 these things we know it is all wrong, and 

 each season resolve to start our border 

 afresh "next year!" 



It is therefore a comfort to reflect upon 

 one large family which even the autocratic 

 flower books say "should remain undis- 

 turbed," and, planted with some thought 

 and care in the beginning, it may be one of 

 the stand-bys of the garden, permanent in 

 position, and each year increasing in 

 beauty and luxuriance. 



Iris has the additional advantage, by 

 means of its many species and varieties, 

 early and late, of affording a long blooming 

 season, and with a little careful planning, 

 one may have iris of some sort in bloom 

 for many weeks, although the flowering 

 time of each particular species is short. 



As I am writing for the large class of 

 readers who, like myself, have very limited 

 garden space, I would say that for such, 

 one of the best and most satisfactory ways 

 of utilizing the room which can be allowed 

 the iris, is to plant a row of mixed colors, 



360 



mostly flowering 

 about the same time, 

 but having a few 

 varieties spaced reg- 

 ularly that flower 

 earlier or later, thus 

 extending the bloom- 

 ing time. 



If expense has to 

 be considered, plant 

 a few roots a yard 

 or so apart, filling in 

 the first year or two 

 with annuals, which 

 can be replaced with 

 more iris roots when 

 obtained. I think it 

 adds greatly to the 

 pleasure of such a 

 border, to collect 

 varieties gradually. 

 Let this row be of 

 German iris — the common bearded — the 

 true " Fleur de luce." It blossoms the latter 

 part of May, and early June; is about 

 two feet in height, and produces a great 

 abundance of showy, beautiful flowers, 

 of every color imaginable. Do not make 

 the mistake which we did at first, of setting 

 the row too near the front edge of the 

 garden. It grows shabby after blossom- 

 ing is over, and needs to be hidden by some 

 friendly screen. We now have beds of 

 low perennials and annuals in front of it, 

 which do not interfere with its beauty in 

 blooming time, but later grow tall enough 

 to screen the yellow and drooping flags. 

 Give it plenty of room, for it widens from 

 year to year, and fertilize generously in 

 the fall, covering it with stable manure 

 which must be raked off in the spring. 



Oriental iris, which comes Just after the German 

 iris In late June 



