In a Vase on Monday – Siberian Iris

Chris Mousseau

Wikipedia says there are up to 300 different species in the genus Iris, and that the flower shares the same name as the Greek word for Rainbow – perhaps referring to the multitude of colours in cultivation. I could have cut an armful of these large, white, re-blooming iris and filled a huge urn:

Or a smaller, but still substantial, vase to hold various colours, like this beauty, just opened yesterday:

But instead I chose Siberian Iris, also starting this week in my garden. I started many years ago with one or two rescued clumps that had been discarded by the owners of their home gardens – as an aside, I think Siberian Iris might be the most discarded, not terribly invasive, perennial out there. Someone once told me the leaves were “too sharp.” Fair enough I suppose, if one has had one’s eye poked at once or twice while bending over a clump.

I’m loving both the dark blue and the paler blue varieties.

Siberian Iris self seed or are easily propagated by collecting seeds yourself after the seed head is brown and has started to split open, like these from last December:

The top photo was taken early yesterday morning – many buds are still not open. The vase is, again, a Hyacinth vase. This last photo is the same vase, yesterday afternoon. To see many other vases full of colourful flowers, please visit Cathy at Rambling in the Garden.

10 Comments

  2. You’ve got a beautiful collection of Irises. The only species I’ve had much luck with is Iris douglasiana. I haven’t quite given up on the bearded Irises, though.

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