Irises

Irises are very beautiful garden plants. You can certainly find some that will grow for you, if you just give them light.

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Iris

Thou are the Iris, fair among the fairest
Who, armed with golden rod
And winged with the celestial azure,bearest
The message of some god.

Thou are the Muse, who far from crowded cities
Hauntest the sylvan streams,
Playing on pipes of reed the artless ditties
That come to us as dreams.

O flower-de-luce, bloom on, and let the river
Linger to kiss thy feet!
O flower of song, bloom on, and make for ever
The world more fair and sweet.

- Henry Wadsworth Longfelllow

Some grow in deserts, some in swamps, some in the cold far north, and many in temperate climates. Iris means rainbow, and that's because irises come in so many colors: blues and purples, whites and yellows, pinks and oranges, browns and reds, and even blacks.

Thank you for the beautiful post Inda.
I have Irises blooming in my garden right now, and they are wonderful. They don't need much care, and yet they brighten up the garden with all their beautiful colours.
They look very delicate, but they are actually very hardy and easy to grow.

Bearded Irises

by Susan Gray

Few flowers are as user friendly to the weekend gardener as the bearded iris. Offering carefree blooms in nearly every color of the rainbow, bearded irises are easy to establish and require a minimum of maintenance. Petals that vary in texture from the most plush velvet, to the finest silk, often on one flower, provide variety to suit almost every taste.

Thank you Inda for the lovely post, and thank you Sue for your contribution.

Love,
yoko

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How wonderful each thing is
that I look at, but springtime
goes away.

-Kito (1740-1788)

Thank you Sue and yoko.

Th Irises are blooming in my garden right now.
They are absolutely beautiful.

You are right Sue, they do look delicate and fragile, even though they are hardy and withstand our cold winters well.

Love, Inda
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Here you can see some of the many colours that Irises come in.

Iris, Most Beautiful Flower

Iris, most beautiful flower,
Symbol of life, love, and light;
Found by the brook, and the meadow,
Or lofty, on arable height.
You come in such glorious colors,
In hues, the rainbow surpass;
The chart of color portrays you,
In petal, or veins, of your class.
You bloom with the first in Winter,
With the last, in the Fall, you still show;
You steal the full beauty of Springtime,
With your fragrance and sharp color glow.
Your form and beauty of flower,
An artist's desire of full worth;
So Iris, we love you and crown you,
MOST BEAUTIFUL FLOWER ON EARTH!

Edith Buckner Edwards
AIS bulletin January 1961

Summer Iris



summer again -
friends of two colors
side by side

Thank you for this beautiful thread.
The irises are blooming everywhere right now. Most of the tulips have finished blooming and the Irises have taken their place.

Sincerely,
Gisele

Thank you Inda for the Iris post.
I love these flowers. They come in so many beautiful colours and they really brighten up the gardens.

Love,
Vicky

Thank you everyone for your replies,
and beautiful images.

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Since Iris is the Greek goddess for the Messenger of Love, her sacred
flower is considered the symbol of communication and messages.
Greek men would often plant an iris on the graves of their beloved
women as a tribute to the goddess Iris, whose duty it was to
take the souls of women to the Elysian fields.

- Hana No Monogatari: The Stories of Flowers

The moon is up, and yet it is not night; Sunset divides the sky with heröa sea Of glory streams along the Alpine height Of blue Friuli's mountains; Heaven is free From clouds, but of all colours seems to be Melted to one vast Iris of the West, Where the day joins the past eternity.

-Rochdale

The Irises are absolutely beautiful right now. We have some growong in my sister's garden.

The artist VanGogh painted many beautiful Iris paintings,
we have a book of his flower paintings in the office. Here is one of his Iris paintings.

My Irises are blooming again, and they really brigten up the garden.

Love, Inda
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"In your neat garden iris grows
Bright yellow, mauve - in stately rows.
This one you’ve picked’s a lovely thing,
I know it brightens up our spring.
But in the forest, springtime’s child,
A purple iris growing wild,
Can melt my heart as spring melts snow,
It’s spoilt me for the sort you grow!"

- Jude, Wild Iris

VanGogh

You are right.
The very colourful Irises are blooming again. They look so feagile, but they are really very tough.

Love,
Vicky

You are right Vicky, Irises are really tough even though they look really delicate. They are blooming in the garden now, even though our temperature is not as warm as it has been.

Love,
Sue


“In the Spring a livelier iris changes on the burnish'd dove; In the Spring a young man's fancy lightly turns to thoughts of love”

Alfred, Lord Tennyson

Irises are in full bloom and they will not last long.
Enjoy them while they are here.

Love,
yoko

Thank you yoko, you are right, Irises are blooming right now and they don't last long. Let us enjoy them.
It is quite hot here and this will shorten the Irises' blooming time.

Love,
Vicky