Iris for Joy

Joy asked me for a photo of the Florentine iris that I mentioned on facebook....a week or so ago, I think.  Here is one from Saturday, May 12, 2012....

I call them Florentine iris, well, because that is what I ordered.  And they appear to fit Patrick Lima's description in his Illustrated Book of Herbs, a book I kept at my bedside and read often to ensure sweet dreams and to plan my own garden.  That book is one I would take to a desert island or may have buried with me.  Seriously.  I don't have the book at hand right now but way back when.....probably 1995 or so, I called the source for the iris from the back of the book (in Ohio, I believe) and (yes, I called.  No innernets then the way they are now....) and in a week or so, I had my own source of lovely dove gray iris that fade to white.  Someday I must visit Larkwhistle, the gardens that Patrick Lima and his partner built in a relatively remote part of Canada.

(This photo was taken about a week ago, in the early evening, a day before the big full moon.)

Although these iris resemble the typical germanic variety ( I hope I used that term correctly), they do bloom about two weeks or more before most germanic iris bloom in the same garden conditions.  

Have I satisfied your curiousity, Joy?  I'll be dividing these iris this year and will be glad to share...just let me know if you (or any other readers) are interested in a few rhizomes later this summer and I'll send them off.  (You can share your snail mail address later.)   Really.....there will be a lot to share, so don't be shy about finding some space in your garden.

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I had to drive quite a distance on Thursday and Friday and, gosh, did I get the travel sickness!  I'm over it now which is quite fortuitous as I'm driving again tomorrow.  Must.stop.the.car.more.often.and.walk.around!

Have a lovely week!

Comments

[joan]

Mine are blooming too! I always think of you when I see them.
xoxo

[kitten]

I believe I was well into my 20s before I realized that paintings and silk irises I'd seen were intended to be actual flowers. (I am still confused by the concept of "dividing" your flowers.) Someday when I live someplace that those would grow, I'll take you up on the sharing.

[Vicki]

Blooming! I noticed a couple of "Florentine" in my yard yesterday, and another antique-looking variety open this morning! So lovely. ;)

[Cookie]

Pretty!

You share with our Kitten and I'll explain dividing to her. I did it for years until I couldn't take it anymore.

[LoriAngela]

Don't have any of my heritage (unnamed) irises blooming, but Iris is my mom's name and we enjoyed a nice Mothers' Day.

[Joy]

Lovely, lovely! Thanks for the great photos! Would love to have some - want to swap?

[Carrie#K]

Those irises are lovely!

Ack about the travel sickness! You don't normally have it, do you? For all the traveling you do....