300 



THE GARDEN MAGAZINE 



June, 1913 



cotta blossoms on stems two feet tall. 

 Mr. W. R. Dykes gives it among the 

 "difficult" irises, and says it needs a 

 hot and dry position if it is to pro- 

 duce its remarkable blossoms in any 

 profusion. 



Preeminent among the moisture lovers 

 is the great Japanese iris, I. laevigata, or 

 I. Kcempferi of the catalogues, which is one 

 of the finest hardy plants we have. The 

 ideal place for it is the pond (or stream) side 

 in open sun, but if such a spot is not avail- 

 able, one may still derive much pleasure 

 from its beauty, if planted in deep rich 



Some, as the yel- 

 low I. pseudacorus, 

 will thrive with the 

 water actually 

 standing about 

 them, but in spite 

 of this preference, 



I have not met 

 with any which 

 will not grow and 

 thrive contentedly 

 in rich, deeply dug 

 garden soil. 



Of those which 

 belong more par- 

 ticularly to the 

 dryer places, I. 

 Missouriensis, a 

 native, is the best. 



I I is an early 

 bloomer, growing 

 about two feet tall 

 and producing its 

 yellow- blotched 

 lavender blossoms 

 with great liber- 

 ality. Others are 

 I '. fcetidissima, gra- 

 in inea and julva. 



The first two are not very conspicuous, 

 but the former has the merit of being a 

 shade lover, and its rather dull blossoms 

 are redeemed by the scarlet seeds which 

 follow and cling all winter to the flaring 

 pods. The second is a low growing iris, 

 with small delicately fragrant flowers, 

 almost hidden by the grass like foliage. 

 I. julva, which I have not yet flowered, 

 is described as possessing handsome terra 



The old favorite German iris abound in a great variety of forms and colors. 

 They are the most commonly seen in gardens 



soil, and watered thoroughly when the 

 buds are forming. The huge blossoms of 

 this magnificent plant often measure six 

 inches across and are most wonderful in 

 color and texture. Mr. Irwin Lynch, in 

 his valuable work on the iris, gives the 

 following as good garden varieties: — 

 Alexander von Humboldt, pure white; 

 Chyia, lilac and white; Her Majesty, 

 violet, speckled white; Keiko, blush suf- 



fused and speckled rose; Lady Scott 

 Monorieff, white with rosy halo; Netta, 

 white edge rose pink; Ozaka, pale sky blue 

 and white; Lomoye, pure white with light 

 blue halo. An excellent list of varieties 

 is offered by specialists in this country, 

 but hardly any two dealers appear to 

 list the same names although the plants 

 may be alike. The length of their blos- 

 soming period may be quite appreciably 

 lengthened by planting some in partial 

 shade. Japanese irises are easily raised 

 from seed and will bloom the second or 

 third year. 



The next most important group of these 

 beardless moisture lovers, is the slender 

 I. Sibirica and its varieties. This has a 

 hollow stem, slender grass-like foliage and 

 many small blue, lavender, and white 

 blosoms that make one think of butter- 

 flies poised lightly above the foliage. 

 These Siberians are most effective planted 

 in rather large groups, as a single plant or 

 two is apt to appear delicate and unconvinc- 

 ing, and as the frail character of their 

 beauty suffers in contrast with the heavier 

 German irises, they are best not seen in 

 each others company. 



The stronger growing form of the above, 

 the variety orientalis, is not to be con- 

 founded with that whose more familiar 

 name is ochroleuca. The flowers though 

 larger are more fugitive. Two varieties of 

 the Siberian orientalis, Blue King and Snow 

 Queen, are among the most conspicious 

 and valuable of garden irises. The former 

 bears intense blue-purple blossoms with 

 reddish spathes in such profusion as to 

 almost obscure the foliage. Snow Queen 

 has much the same character, but bears 

 quantities of pure white blossoms. All the 

 Siberians are easily raised from seed and 

 the plants once established, should be left 

 long undisturbed to perfect their beauty. 



I. longipetala is the only tractable 

 member of the beautiful California group. 

 It bears a lovely, sprightly flower, with 

 deep-toned veins on the lavender ground of 

 its standards and tender gray-white 

 falls. In my garden it flourished for several 

 seasons and then passed away apparently 

 without cause, but I am ordering more 

 plants and shall try to avert another such 

 disaster. It is said that this plant should 

 be moved only when in full growth. I. 

 spuria and its various forms are well worth 

 planting in our borders, though I believe 

 they vary much in desirability. Mrs. A. 

 W. Tate, the only one I have, is a handsome 

 plant, with good foliage and a strong stem, 

 carrying several closely crowded lavender 

 blossoms. Closely related to spuria is 

 I. Guldenstcedtiana, a dreadful name and a 

 none too attractive kind, bearing dingy 

 yellow flowers. 



Three very beautiful yellow irises, for 

 the open border or waterside, are I. aurea, 

 Monnieri and ochroleuca. The critical 

 notes on these and on the bulbous irises 

 (which embrace the English, and Spanish 

 types as well as the earliest of all reti- 

 culata) will be given in the July number. 



