Goreward 
Beautiful as an orchid, and sturdy as a geranium in our 
Southern California climate, the iris is a specialty of IRISDALE. 
We are convinced that there is no other flowér so enduring, 
so beautiful, and so well suited to the habits of Southern Calif- 
ornians, who prefer to spend time at the beach in the water and 
less time in the garden, watering, in mid-summer. 
The iris welcomes our drying out season in July and August. 
It grows well even in the desert at Palm Springs, flooded with 
‘“Indian’’ water, which drains off quickly in the desert sand; 
it does equally well on the tight soiled adobe slopes; and it 
thrives in the red, gritty soils of some of the citrus areas a- 
round Redlands and San Diego county. 
This is not to say that the iris does not require some care, 
and does not respond to thoughtful culture with better flowers 
and greater increase. But it meets the test of survival of the 
fittest, and the more rigorous whims of nature better than any 
other flower we know of its crisp delicacy of form and color. 
The iris season of Southern California, and the whole Pac- 
ific coasta! area is earlier than that of the mid-west and East. 
There are some iris blooming in our garden every month in the 
year, but the season is from mid-March to June Ist. The ideal 
planting time here is earlier than usually considered, from 
mid-July to mid-August. And with the new plantings, the 
practice for established clumps is reversed. A daily soaking 
for the first week after planting is advisable and once a week 
watering after that till new growth shows. Many var- 
ieties will bloom the following spring if planted as late 
as October. But if one wishes several fans and perhaps 
several flower stalks from one rhizome the following spring, 
early planting is preferable. 
IRISDALE is offering daffodils because we love them as the 
poets who have immortalized them. And we feel with Mo- 
hammed, who said, 1500 years ago, ‘Te that hath two cakes 
of bread, let him sell one of them, for bread is only food for 
the body, but Narcissus is food for the soul.’’ Of course we 
think the same should be said of iris. 
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