MASSING OF DISTINCT SPECIES 161 
it Vanilla pods or almond essence ? Not quite, 
it has a fresher, cleaner scent than that, like 
some fresh fruit. 
In making a garden for them, either of the 
small square gardens mentioned before (see 
plans, pp. 99, 135, 139, D, B, or E) would 
be very suitable for the purpose. But it 
would be well to have one or two of the 
borders raised some 18 inches or 2 feet, and 
banked up with stones, unless there is already 
some low retaining wall on the top of 
which a border may be made, in order to 
give the right cultural treatment to those of 
the iris family that require special attention. 
Such a variety as persica , of the xiphion or 
bulbous iris family, requires a well-drained, 
even stony soil, so that its long roots may 
ramble at will, and a sunny situation in order 
that the bulbs may be thoroughly well ripened 
after flowering. Iris pumila and Iris stylosa 
require the same conditions, and with raised 
borders there should be no difficulty in growing 
any of these. A narrow border at the foot of 
the stones that hold up the raised portion can 
be utilized for some of the larger sorts of iris 
with creeping rhizome or roots. 
Since the late Sir Michael Foster and others 
started crossing the different races of the 
