FLOWERS FOR THE HARDY GARDEN 



25 



Gorgeous Jaj, 



Japanese Iris, continued 



flowers are perhaps the more refined and artistic, 

 but the six-petaled ones are certainly the more 

 imposing. The foliage is much longer and narrower 

 than the German varieties, and stands erect in 

 sheaves instead of spreading out in fans. 



Japanese Irises are particularly adapted for plant- 

 ing in balanced groups or solid beds in the formal 

 garden, because of their clean-cut, symmetrical 

 outline, and in the mixed border they are second 

 only to delphiniums in their season of bloom. An 

 excellent plan is to plant gladioli between the 

 clumps of Irises; the foliage is almost identical, and 

 their seasons of bloom can be made to succeed each 

 other with very satisfactory results. Comparatively 

 little seems to have been clone in this country toward 

 naturalizing Japan Iris along the banks of 

 ponds and streams, yet 1 sec no reason 

 why the most beautiful pictures could not 

 be created in this way, providing the 

 ground was well prepared before setting out 

 the plants. Japanese Irises are splendid 

 for cutting, being much less fragile than 

 the German sorts. Cut them when the 

 buds are starting to unfold. Late June and 

 early July. 3 to 4l 2 ft.; space IS in. 



Culture. — The greaterrorin thcculture 

 ol Japanese Iris is to assume that the 

 plants are aquatics. Though they relish 

 any amount of moisture during their grow- 

 ing season, the crowns must be well above 

 the water-level during the winter. Pos- 

 sibly the general misconception of their 

 requirements has been due to reports of 

 travelers from Japan who have seen them 

 growing there in the Hooded rice-fields, 

 not knowing that in winter the water is 

 entirely drained oil". Therefore, in natural- 

 izing them around ponds, see that they 

 are not set so that water continuously 

 stands around the roots. In ordinary gar- 



dens, they can be grown with perfect success, pro- 

 viding the soil is rich and mellow and the surface 

 around the plants is never allowed to become hard 

 and baked. If a couple of thorough soakings can 

 be given them before they come into bloom, so 

 much the better, but even this is not necessary 

 il proper care is taken to prevent evaporation by 

 keeping the ground well stirred, or covered with 

 a very heavy mulch. August and early Septem- 

 ber are the best times to plant them. If they can- 

 not be set out before September 15, it is much better 

 to delay planting until next spring, otherwise 

 the roots will be pretty sure to be heaved out of 

 the ground by the frost, and once they have been 

 exposed to the winter air, the plants are practically 

 clone for. Japanese Irises look best in large, massive 

 clumps, so it is well to leave them undivided for 

 four or live years. They will increase much more 

 rapidly if given a liberal amount of fertilizer, which 

 is best applied according to the Japanese plan, by 

 giving them a thick winter mulch of manure. 



Ho-O-Jo (syn., Oriole). Six petals. Rich reddish 

 purple with yellow blotches. 



Osho-Kun. Intense deep violet-blue, the nearest 

 approach to a true blue. Very beautiful. Six petals. 



Renjo-no-tama. Very double, with (luted 

 petals. White, with a wide border of soft lavender. 



Sano-watashi. Six great fine white drooping 

 petals. Primrose blotches radiating gracefully into 

 the white. The most popular sort. 



Shigo-no-uranami. Tall. Rich violet, white 

 halo, radiating white lines. Six petals. 



Kagaribi. Pearly white, densely traced and 

 marbled soft violet. Exquisite. Six petals. 



Zama-no-mori. Three immense, drooping falls. 

 Pure white shaded toward the center with softest 

 violet-blue, standards white, margined pale violet. 

 The most beautiful three-petaled sort. 



Mahogany. Deepest velvety claret. One of the 

 richest. Six petals; All Japan Irises 25 cts. each, 

 S2.50 per doz. 



Iris Sibirica 



The narrow, grass-like leaves and numerous very 

 slender, graceful flower-stems distinguish the 

 Siberian Iris from the other Iris families. The (low- 

 ers are comparatively small, in form something 

 between the German and Japanese sorts. They 

 have a great deal of delicate charm, and are most 



