IRISES FOR EVERYBODY 
AGNES FALES HUNTINGTON 
Members of the Bearded Group that Compel 
Attention by their Decorative Qualities in the Gar¬ 
den— Outstanding Varieties to Fit All Purses 
hUL^O PLANT Irises now, before the heavy fall planting 
WOI A begins, is practical wisdom indeed, not only be- 
cause time is thus gained but because the garden is still 
a going concern and the herbaceous border’s parts can 
be seen in relation to one another. Also, your memory of the 
present season’s picture still lingers vividly enough to serve as 
a trustworthy guide in making additions. 
And the Iris is easy to plant, remembering always not to 
really bury the creeping stem—it likes to be half in, half out. 
In truth the Iris is not a “ crowd ” plant, perferring its own space 
clear and free to light and air. It wants water in its growing 
period, but otherwise can get along without much attention. 
Frankly, I do not love Irises as I love Tulips and some other 
flowers. They are such fleeting things, and perfectly provoking 
as cut flowers. But of all the flowers that grow, I think they are 
the most superbly decorative in the garden. And they are 
fairly easy to grow, and small enough to permit having a great 
many different kinds in even a tiny garden, so that it is impossi¬ 
ble not to be stirred by the great surge of interest in their de¬ 
velopment, and to want to take at least a little part in it. 
Hardly any flower is being quite so developed nowadays as 
the Bearded Iris, though Dahlias and Gladiolus compete hotly. 
The great raisers are doing splendid work, and everywhere in this 
country and abroad the smaller amateurs are entering the field 
and becoming experts—and some of the best Irises come from 
them. Careful scientific breeding, strict attention to record, 
mark this work. Our American Iris Society has done much to 
clear the air by its “Symposium” with rating of all well-known 
varieties, and perhaps even more by its registration of new 
names, and discouragement of too-much-alike varieties. There 
are still many unsolved problems in Iris breeding (as discussed 
by Mr. Sherman Duffy in the June G. M., page 291), but even 
where causes are not well understood, results may be excellent. 
And the game is not too long for patience, because Iris seedlings 
bloom in a fairly short time. 
I he number of Iris varieties is absolutely legion, and many 
of the great ones are so scaringly high in price that the average 
gardener has not even seen them yet, and will not for some years 
to come; and this in spite of the natural rapidity of increase in 
the plant. But let us look over the ranks of the best old kinds, 
and a few of the new, that have come to be fairly well-known 
and not impossible for the ordinary person to buy. 
Twelve Lovely Blue-Lavenders 
'T'HE very loveliest of all to me are the blue-lavenders. The old 
1 Pali.IDA Dalmatica still ranks high, but much better is the se¬ 
lected form, Princess Beatrice. Many fanciers who know the 
world’s best sav there is nothing to beat that old and inexpensive 
variety. There is much confusion in catalogues and many Iris raisers 
call the two forms synonymous—which they are not. The American 
Iris Society marks a sharp distinction between the two, rating Pallida 
dalmatica at 8.8 and Princess Beatrice at 9.5. The latter is perfect in 
WHERE IRISES THRIVE IN HAPPY INFORMALITY 
Curiously enough, the Iris seems to lend itself equally to naturalistic or formal uses, and thrives in many localities even under 
rather severe winter conditions as here in the garden of Mr. John L. Rea near Plattsburg in the northern part of New York state 
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