6 
Carl Purdy, Ukiah, California 
GERMAN IRISES, continued 
Culture. Plant in sun or light shades from August to March; the best time is fall. 
The soil may be light or heavy, sandy or rocky, if fairly well enriched, but the best 
results will be had on a good loam with old manure dressing as a winter or summer 
mulch. Lift and divide in early fall every three or four years. Use only the most vigorous 
sections, pulling the mat of rhizomes to pieces to get them. Plant 15 to 20 inches apart. 
Garden Arrangement. The worst possible way to use them is as a permanent edging 
to a mixed border, for after flowering they lack interest and leave an ugly place. Strong 
clumps, say of six or more, from 3 to 6 feet from the walk, are good and give fine flowering 
masses in season. If they rest every second year, gladioli can be alternated and do well. 
The best of all plans is to choose some bed a little out of the garden center and use 
Irises alone. Such a border can be planted with successive groups of different heights 
and flowering seasons and will be a thing of beauty for a long period and can then be 
dried off until fall. 
Do not use Japanese Irises with German Irises, as the cultural conditions are differ- 
ent, but the Spanish, English, Oriental, and Sibirica 
varieties will blend admirably in such an Iris garden. 
\ The midwinter-flowering Iris stylosa will blend well 
in this scheme, as it too takes a summer rest, and 
all of our California Irises can be used. If some of the 
K I rarer late, winter-flowering Irises were used, a bed 
& would flower from November till July. 
W\ l German Irises are divided into a number of classes. 
\ The Amcena, May-flowering and Pallida sections are 
, on the opposite page, and the remaining sec- 
The German Iris is a delight in May 
