. The Book of gardening; a handbook of horticulture. Gardening; Horticulture. 334 THE BOOK OF GARDENING. small, graceful, and freely produced upon numerous slendei stems, borne well above the grass-like foliage. In height thev are from 3ft. to 5 ft. Other Irises in this section worthy of note are I. cristata, a gem for sunny spots or for the rock garden; / unguicu- laris (L stylosa), quite hardy, but delighting in a dry, sunny position, such as under a south wall, 01 upon sunny banks—a charming winter- flowering species ; /. fmtidissima is another useful species, thriving alike in dry borders,
. The Book of gardening; a handbook of horticulture. Gardening; Horticulture. 334 THE BOOK OF GARDENING. small, graceful, and freely produced upon numerous slendei stems, borne well above the grass-like foliage. In height thev are from 3ft. to 5 ft. Other Irises in this section worthy of note are I. cristata, a gem for sunny spots or for the rock garden; / unguicu- laris (L stylosa), quite hardy, but delighting in a dry, sunny position, such as under a south wall, 01 upon sunny banks—a charming winter- flowering species ; /. fmtidissima is another useful species, thriving alike in dry borders, in shade, or in damp places. A highly- prized characteristic of this species are the large scarlet berries, much employed for winter decoration. Too much can. hardly be said in praise of I. Icevigata (I. Kczmpferl). Every garden with a damp border, or with a stream, pond, or ditch, should contain this species. It is one of the Japanese sacred flowers, and a special national feast-day and- holiday are devoted to the worship of this Iris. There are a host of named varieties, some of the best being: Nitta, Chiyo, Minamobo, and Taira. Also ex- cellent for water-edge planting are I. versi- color and its varieties. Though difficult to grow it would be unfair to leave out altogether in the cold the Oncocyclus group of Irises, as it un- doubtedly contains many gems, the flowers ranging from bronzy-black to grey and fawn. The secret of their culture lies in giving them a good " baking" in summer, and being allowed to rest im- mediately after flowering in June until October. Among the best are: /. susiana (Fig. 211), I. Lorteti, and /. lupina. Of the Bulbous section the Spanish Irises, with their brilliantly-coloured flowers, are the most popular. Strong-flowering bulbs are to be had very cheaply, and nothing is more valuable for cutting during June, than these. Where pos- sible, they should be grown in partial shade; the flowers then last longer than if exposed fully to the
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