Reticulate Iris-2012

[art600]

Wim

You must be basking in warmer temperatures than us - mine are only now poking through the soil.

Nice selection

[WimB]

Wim

You must be basking in warmer temperatures than us - mine are only now poking through the soil.

Nice selection

That's the advantage of living at the Flemish Riviera, Arthur 

[Alex]

An iris zagrica from bulbs bought at the sale of some of Jim Archibald's stock at the 2010 AGS Fritillaria Group meeting.

Alex

[Maggi Young]

Very nice, Alex. Lucky to be able to have these reminders of Jim.

[ashley]

A refined beauty Alex.  Would you say that it needs more protection than reticulata forms?
I. zagrica seed I received from Kurt Vickery last summer is germinating now.

Less exotic but one I like: Iris 'Clairette'

[Roma]

A few irises pictured on Sunday

Iris 'Katharine Hodgkin' outside in the snow
Iris histrioides 'Lady Beatrix Stanley'
Iris reticulata 'Pauline' which I won in the raffle at Dunblane

[ronm]

'Clairette ' is very nice Ashley. A subtle beauty to it I would say. Sometimes when I'm looking to buy, the bold, 'look at me' plants take my money, but then, in the garden, plants like this keep me enthralled for longer.

[ronm]

Lovely Iris, Roma. Do they cheer you up during these winter days as they do me? I'm afraid I love to look into these beautiful flowers ( for perhaps an unhealthy length of time!) and try to imagine 'why?' have they evolved to this state of beauty. Who are they calling out to? 

[ashley]

'why?' have they evolved to this state of beauty. Who are they calling out to? 

Pollinators

[ronm]

Pollinators

.
  But what subtle difference if only for pollinators. If you want to attract a Macroglossum stelleratum, or a Big Bird, then why bother to change slightly  from your family which has been succesful. So many colour variations, so few pollinators!

[ronm]

Can 'Clairette' be grown as per the other Reticulatas please Ashley? We grow a number of them in an outdoor raised bed, uncovered all year round and they do very well. Do you think this one would be the same? Thanks.

[David Nicholson]

........We grow a number of them in an outdoor raised bed, uncovered all year round and they do very well.... ............

It must be your drier climate Ron. I've lost count of the times I've started with a batch of ten bulbs or so and the following year finishing up with two/three if I'm lucky.

[ronm]

I'm amazed David, . I never gave any thought to the fact that this could happen. The raised beds I made are really perfect drainage and grow these, Junos, Frits, Crocus, Daffs, Lilies, Scills, Muscari, Tulips, etc. Only the common ones of course. Didn't realise it but maybe we're very lucky.

[ashley]

Pollinators

.
  But what subtle difference if only for pollinators. If you want to attract a Macroglossum stelleratum, or a Big Bird, then why bother to change slightly  from your family which has been succesful. So many colour variations, so few pollinators!

Very true Ron.  Indeed for an avowed rationalist/atheist like myself it's hard to understand why we perceive so much of nature as beautiful

Yes here 'Clairette' does fine outdoors under the same conditions as straight reticulata cultivars.  Its other parent I. bakeriana also holds its own outdoors, although my few plants from a commercial source look virus-infected this year so must be culled

[Gerry Webster]

Pollinators

.
  But what subtle difference if only for pollinators. If you want to attract a Macroglossum stelleratum, or a Big Bird, then why bother to change slightly  from your family which has been succesful. So many colour variations, so few pollinators!

Very true Ron.  Indeed for an avowed rationalist/atheist like myself it's hard to understand why we perceive so much of nature as beautiful

Perhaps rationalist/atheists like you (& me) cannot help but look at nature as if it had been purposefully made by an intelligent being or an artist even though, rationally, we think it has not.