Remember to note carefully.....

Iris reticulata (netted iris) - "While the snow is still on the ground - in January, or earlier its leaves begin to shoot, and while these are only few inches high, the buds open to the pale wintry sun a beauty of violet and gold. This little treasure is indeed the Iris companion of the crocus...."  I have not captured their golden hearts but they are there..

Iris Reticulata; Bulbs planted before Xmas then left in their pots on the gravel, so I bought the two iris pots in, and they immediately both flowered, the heat bringing them on....

So I turn to my favourite book W.Robinson - The Flower Garden and flick through this heavy tome to irises, he writes with such a flourish,  55 named variety, do so many exist today I wonder? Can anyone today scribe those beautiful engravings in the book, I cannot even photograph them properly! One day my new camera will be brought but at the moment I stick with the old one.

Iris  Paradoxa; description by Robinson. A native of West Persia and the Caucaus and fitly called 'paradoxical'.  The fall is reduced to a narrow strap, half an inch or less in width but the standard is large, erect and while the small form is stout and firm, almost leathery, is delicate and flimsy in texture.  The ground colour of the claw is a rich crimson or deep pink, but beneath the claw and for some little distance in front of it the crimson hue is almost entirely hid by numerous short dark purple, almost black, hairs, so thickly set as to imitate velvet....

Iris Susiana (Mourning Iris)

Iris Ibparad and I.Agatha

Iris Gatesi;" The prevailing colour of the specimens so far cultivated is when the flowers are seen from a distance, a soft delicate grey, brought about by very clear thin veins and minute dots or points of purple on a creamy-white ground, the dots being predominant on the fall and the veins on the standard"