Goddess of the Rainbow

The mystery irises are indeed yellow -- an odd yellow. From across the yard they read as a soft straw colour, but when you get up close, they're lemon foxed over with rust, especially on the falls. Not terribly appealing to my eye, but others might feel differently. They're OK from a distance, and it's hard to complain about irises that bloom three to four on 40-inch branching stems.

Apparently, however, not all of the inherited irises are yellow -- a few of the ones I moved to the back haven't opened yet, but they're showing enough colour to tell me they aren't yellow. I think they're some shade of purple. It'll be another few days before I know for sure.

Whatever colour they are, I will have some extras -- there is still a patch that needs to be dug out of the lilies-of-the-valley. Come July or August, they'll be available free to good homes. Lessons on how to plant them are also available for those what want them. Not sure how many there will be, but I got about two dozen plantable fans from a square foot area, so I should have a fair few to hand out. I'll try to post pictures in the next few days; if you think you'd like some, leave me a note.

Afternoon Update: today's warm weather caused the more advanced buds on Mystery Iris #2 to unfurl. They are purple -- sort of a pale brown-lilac on the standards and deeper blue-purple on the falls. An intriguing mix with the yellow ones. I can't guarantee which of the ones still to be thinned is which, but hey, what do you want for free irises?

verso - recto