Iris that Grow from Bulbs 
JAN DE GraaFF, (Ore.) 
The bulbous iris include some very fine varieties that are used 
extensively for forcing during the winter months. Most people, 
even non-gardeners, are therefore well aware of their existence and 
will readily identify them when they see them in the flower shops. 
‘That these same iris have not found general acceptance as garden 
flowers cannot then be ascribed to lack of knowledge of them. It 
must rather be due to a variety of causes, some economic and some 
cultural. The interplay of these factors throws an interesting light 
on a question that has certainly occurred to many gardeners. This 
Jan de Graaff, head of the Oregon Bulb Farms, Sandy, Oregon, 
is a distinguished plantsman whose ancestors for generations in 
their native Holland made important names for themselves in the 
growing of plants and bulbs. Combining an Old World love of 
beautiful plants with American ingenuity for fashioning machinery 
that enables him to grow them by the millions, de Graaff now 
produces for our gardens a large share of the daffodils, lilies and 
bulbous irises that are grown. The BULLETIN is proud to present 
his informatie article. 
Incidentally, if you've never tried the intriguing bulbous irises, 
invest in at least a few dozen bulbs of the Dutch varieties this fall 
and grow them just as you do your tulips. They'll surprise you with 
real “outdoor orchids” next spring—wonderful for cutting. 
question is, what actually makes a garden plant popular and what 
controls its general availability? 
Bulbous iris are not difficult to raise. They are hardy and will 
grow without attention in even the poorer soils. Planted in small 
groups in the garden, in sunny locations with a porous, well-drained 
soil, they will flower profusely. They multiply quickly and will 
not only provide a handsome picture in the June garden, but also 
furnish many fine cut flowers for the house. When, however, they 
are grown on a larger scale, such as in a commercial nursery, they 
* Reprinted from the Bulletin of the American Iris Society, July, 1949. 
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