September, 191 



AMERICAN HOMES AND GARDENS 



3°7 



The German Iris is one of the most profuse bloomers 



I 



ris 



By S. Leonard Bastin 

 Photographs by the author and others 





O the modern gardener the following of his particularly graceful group or the extension of its bloom. 

 art is a complex problem nowadays. With As a genus, the Irises are practically worldwide in origin 

 the return of every new season, there arises and as such are able to adapt themselves to a variety of 

 again the difficult question of deciding what conditions. Moreover, although the majority of the species 



plants he shall include in his domain. The are Summer flowering, there are many which blossom at 



number of possible other seasons. Therefore if the aid 



subjects is bewildering in its variety, MBj ■■■ of a little shelter can be employed 

 and, however great the amount of W^k H during the very cold months, ir 

 space available may be, no one can ^^^. ftW ' s P oss it)le to have a succession of 

 hope to include more than a frac- k *k^^*w Irises almost throughout the year. 

 tion of the kinds really worth grow- 1 ^m^H From a natural point of view we 

 ing. On this account there is much m may divide the Irises into two see- 

 to be said in favor of specializing, Jm ^^W^^k tions, those having creeping roots, 

 and after careful consideration, «fl V^F^Im. anc ^ tnose having bulbous under- 

 choosing a group of plants which Br^ m^ ground processes. For his con- 

 appeals to one's fancy and is in a W ^Ai .*■%■ Wk.jMi venience the gardener may again 

 general way suited to the situation K A l\'*- j^J group these plants into three div- 

 which can be accorded to the speci- Bfl isions: the German, the Spanish and 

 mens. To those who are inclined the English varieties, although these 

 to follow the suggestion, the present 1 I m Jm terms must not be taken in too 

 writer offers a word in favor of l\ f M arbitrary a manner as indicating the 

 the Iris, in all its many species and actual country of origin. Since the 

 varieties. Many amateur garden- specialization of the Irises there 

 makers have only a limited idea of have been added a large number of 

 the wealth of loveliness which is ^^^^^^^^^Bk , ^^^^^^^^9Bh9 sub-divisions which need not be 

 evidenced by the members of this The English Iris taken up here, for technical reasons. 



