Gloria Swanson and THiite Giant. These tulips solved the prob- 

 lem I A.11 the variegatas and yellows went to other beds, in- 

 stead, white iris Avere planted with my red. When I'd wake up 

 winter nights I could see that picture I Spring came and the 

 iris bloomed, '^liat happened? TVell. T felt uncomfortable, so 

 did the red iris. They looked as if their slips were showing, 

 and as if they knew it I Then I added medium blues and the 

 picture went patriotic on me with poor coloring at that. In 

 desperation I added medium pinks. Xext July I plan to do 

 what the iris have told me : leave the picture to red iris. I hope 

 to have large enough clumps to be able to pull apart and com- 

 bine carefully and gradually the varying shades and tones, 

 avoiding sharp contrasts, making graduations very slowly, 

 using three of one variety before going into the next. I leave 

 it to the iris. They will show me the way. The iris fan who 

 doesn't bother about iris pictures misses a lot of trouble — and 

 a lot of joy. 



It is against the rules to plant tall bearded iris in the rock 

 garden but there C(mes a time in late spring when the interest- 

 ing Alpines lose interest and the wake robins go to sleep. Then, 

 if you have planted a drift of dazzling Xeon that laughs aloud, 

 or of Jerry, the one red that stands up and cheers, the rock 

 garden will be jerked back to a veritable flame of life. And 

 how the iris like to scramble between those rocks I They are like 

 children on a picnic. 



After all. the old fashioned way of planting an iris is the 

 best — bordering a path. Look at an iris and it tells you it likes 

 to march, swords and banners flashing. For many years iris 

 have marched along my path from the drive to the woods, a 

 distance of 275 feet. It would be no fun merely planting a row 

 of iris on each side of a path, if I did not find out from the iris 

 themselves the comrades who like to march together. Beyond 

 the iris, on both sides, are tulips and they have undergone a 

 development as great as the iris and have been replaced as 

 often. Xow my tulips are Modern Dutch Breeders and New 

 Ideal Darwins and I have found that by planting a month later 

 than I should, they bloom with my iris. One of my pictures is 

 a combination of El Capitan. San Dieero and Xingal with a drift 

 of the Xpw Ideal Darwin tulip. Golden Goblet, and a planting 

 of anchusa myosotidiflora. The combination following Xingal 

 is Tuscany Gold, Honeydrop and Rose Dominion with a drift 

 of the Modern Dutch Breeder tulip. Indian Chief, which is not 

 unlike in color the iris of the same name, and a planting of 

 Siberian wallflower. 



As I confessed in the beginning, when making pictures of tall 

 bearded iris, instead of studying a book. I study an iris. It is 



in 



