The Sunday Times May 22, 2022 2147912161317flowers that are almost black,
in bloom in early summer.
Height 50cm.13
‘Shirley Pope’ (Siberian)
Rich, royal blue flowers
with wide petals of an
exceptionally velvety texture.
Delicately marked white lines
lead insects to the pollen at
the centre of each bloom.
Flowers mid to late season.
Height 65cm.14
Iris graminea (species)
A European native, the
rush-like foliage taller
than the flowers. These are
finely made with three pale
purple ears standing up in the
centre and three arms
stretching horizontally
between them, pinkish
mauve, with a deeper line of
purple defining the midrib.
Distinctively scented of plums.
Flowers late May to early June.
Height 30cm.15
Iris x robusta ‘Gerald
Darby’ (species hybrid)
A wonderful and unusual
iris with foliage and stems
stained at the base with a
rich purple. Flowers are
violet-blue. Give it space, as a
clump can easily spread to a
metre across. Flowers June.
Height 75cm.16
Iris ensata ‘Rose Queen’
(species hybrid)
Excellent foliage supports
huge, flat-faced flowers, the
biggest in all the iris family.
Each pale mauve fall droops
elegantly to expose a small
yellow blotch at its centre.
Flowers mid-June to late July.
Height 70cm.17
‘Titan’s Glory’ (tall
bearded) There are
intermediate and dwarf
bearded irises to be had, but
the tall ones have more drama.
This is a Titan indeed with
ruffled blooms of a clear, dark
violet. Flowers early to mid
season. Height 95cm.18
‘Lion King’ (Dutch) The
bulbous Dutch irises are
grown in vast numbers for
the cut-flower market but
make brilliant garden plants.
Slip them in between
herbaceous plants to give
unexpected flashes of colour.
Here, yellow, brown and violet
combine with supreme
finesse. In flower during June.
Height 50cm.19
‘Silvery Beauty’ (Dutch)
An enchanting Dutch
bulbous iris, a confection
of pale violet standards above
white falls, marked with a
strong yellow beard. Look for
bulbs this autumn and plant
plenty. Flowers mid-May to
June. Height 50cm.20
‘Ruffled Velvet’
(Siberian)The standards
are reddish-purple, the
falls a much darker purple,
wavy rather than ruffled.
Wonderful with umbellifers
such as selinum or ammi.
Flowers mid to late season.
Height 95cm.520151932
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