The irises shown on the following page are bearded iris, or iris germanica, from North America. Their description derives from the numerous, often coloured, hairs that run along the centre of each fall (pendant or semi-pendant petal) — of which there are generally three.

Flowering in late May and early June, they prefer a rich, well-drained soil, with well-rotted compost, and full sun. Such a vivid display of colour and delicate floral structures herald the onset of summer and a foretaste of the delights to come.

Ideally, they should be planted after blooming and before the new growth starts. In practice, this means between July and October to ensure they settle in before the onset of winter and to give them time to ecome established in anticipation of the coming flowering season.

As we are still building up our stock, we cannot guarantee the availability of all the varieties shown on the following page. Indeed, you will notice there some photographs missing — the explanation is quite simple! They haven’t flowered yet.