Japanese Iris (Iris ensata)

I am back from Ireland; we had a great time. The wildflowers alone were worth the trip. I hopefully will be posting a few pictures from the trip in a couple of days. I hope to update this blog at least 2 or 3 times a week. If you would like to subscribe please email me at digitalflowerpictures@yahoo.com. You will have to cut and paste the address as I haven't figured out how to place a link in these entries. If you would like to see some of my other photography my website is http://digitalflowerpictures.com or click on the link at on the right side of the page.

Featured today is one of my favorite perennials. Japanese Iris have the largest flower of any of the Iris. I have seen them 6-7" across! One garden I work in has a nice collection of Japanese Iris. They are breathtaking in the height of the season, which is the end of June. They are native to Eastern Asia and are very hardy. The plant has been in cultivation for ages and has been the focus of subjective breeding for many years. The modern cultivars are the most dramatic, with their Japanese names and seemingly endless variation. Their culture is easy on moist, well drained, acid soil. They grow well on the edge of the pond.