IRISES.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 19505, 13 June 1925, Page 3

IRISES.

A garden without irises would be robbed of much of its charm and beauty; for ■ various members of the genus provide tho garden with flowers during tho greater part of the year. The beautiful moisture-loving irises of the Far East are best grown on tho outskirts of a lake or pond, whero their lower roots will never be dry. I. Kaempferi, when well established, makes a wonderful display in June and July, and its varieties have a marvellous range of colour with almost every shade and combination, from deep purple to pure white. All authorities on this plant recommend a topdressing of row manure at this season, and nearly all growers arc unable to follow this advice owing to inability to obtain it, but the principle is good, and the difficulty can be overcome by substituting decayed vegetable manure, which is equally beneficial. If new plantations are to bo made the irises should bo planted in deeplyworked, well-enriched soil. Although this plant is moisture loving, it should not bo grown in wattj-logged soil. The members of another group of iris from Eastern China and Siberia are suitable for growing in association with I. Kaornpfcri near tho wa ter viz., I. sibirica and I. orientalis and their varieties. Although tho flowers of these species are small compared with those of I. 'Kaornpfcri, the inflorescences form pyramidal spikes bearing a largo number of flowers in various tints of blue and white, the whole producing sheets of colour. In contrast with these violet and blue shades, tho white and yellow of I. ochroleuca is excellent, and our native yellow flag I. Psoudacorus is handsome and effective, both on account of its clear yellow flowers in summer and decorative seeds pods m autumn.—Gardeners’ Chronicle.