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AMERICAN HOMES AND GARDENS 



September, 19 13 



early stages, frame culture is to be strongly recommended. 

 Of late years, some attention has been given to the so- 

 called Cushion Irises, a typical species being I. Iberica. 

 Unfortunately these are scarcely hardy enough for ordinary 

 culture, and cannot be recommended for planting out, save 

 in very favored localities. Even here they will probably 

 need some kind of protection during the colder parts of 

 the year, and on this account will not appeal strongly to 

 ordinary growers. One species of Iris is peculiarly inter- 

 esting in that it may be had in blossom in the very depths 

 of the Winter, if we treat it as a pot subject, and give 

 it enough protection to insure that it is not nipped by 

 frost at all. This is the pretty Iris Stylosa from Greece, 

 which naturally displays its fine blue flowers at any time 

 from December to February. At this time of the year the 

 plant will form a valuable addition to the number of flow- 

 ering subjects available for the conservatory. 



Iris bulbs and roots are happily cheap, so that the plant- 

 ing of them in large numbers is quite feasible. After all, 

 this is really the most attractive way of growing these 

 charming plants, and where room permits extensive group- 

 ings will give the very best results. A glance at some of 

 the pictures accompanying this article will perhaps convince 

 the most sceptical on this point. The chief effect in the 

 Iris garden illustrated on this page was secured by the 

 employment of the German Irises although other kinds have 

 been called into use. A remarkable show such as that 

 which has been secured could not, of course, be brought 

 about in a short period of time. Indeed the Iris border 

 as it appears in this illustration is really the outcome of 

 fifteen years' constant cultivation. 



As new and worthy species and Hybrids have been in- 

 troduced, examples have been put into position with the 



result that there has been produced in this garden, one of 

 the finest collections of German Irises in the world. Of 

 recent years not a few of the other kinds have been added, 

 as may be gathered from a glance at the photograph show- 

 ing the groupings of English forms. The site of the garden 

 here shown is an ideal one for Irises, in that it is formed 

 by a long series of banks which slope gently down to the 

 border of a river. Thus on the higher parts of the ground 

 a good place has been found for the species which prefer 

 a well-drained soil, while as the water's edge is neared, the 

 moisture loving kinds predominate. Even though one may 

 not wish to carry out the growing of Irises on such a large 

 scale as this, many useful hints for those who contemplate 

 arranging their Iris planting for only a moderate display 

 of the charming flowers may be gathered from a study of 

 the more pretentious garden. 



All Iris blossoms are excellent for use as cut flowers, and 

 on this account alone the plants should certainly find a 

 place in all gardens. When once fully expanded the 

 blooms do not last very long and it is well to gather them 

 when in bud; they will expand perfectly in water and will 

 last a long while. Irises lend themselves peculiarly well to 

 arrangement in vases, and are perhaps the most effective 

 of all early Summer flowers for household decoration. 



In conclusion it may be of service to give a small selec- 

 tion of the most useful kinds for the beginning in the art 

 of Iris culture. So enormous is the number of species and 

 hybrids nowadays, that most people will be quite bewildered 

 by the array of names in any catalogue, and scarcely know 

 what to order. After the common Blue Flag and its 

 varieties, may be mentioned Iris aphylla, the type with 

 white flowers slightly edged with blue, and the numerous 

 {Continued on page 336) 



German Iris lends itself to massing in border planting 



