It’s not all about snowdrops and winter aconites in February. I just couldn’t let the month go by without giving these little beauties a mention. Classic yes, and I do wish I’d planted more of them last autumn; it takes four months from planting to flower, you can’t ask for more than that. And what good value: 50 bulbs for less than the cost of two coffees and croissants!
Through January you will be waiting and watching for the spiky narrow spears of foliage, then one day in February the flowers suddenly appear, they seem to arrive from nowhere: intensely rich, violet blue with contrasting central splashes of golden yellow and white on the falls, as they are called. They sparkle like jewels. After flowering, the foliage will go on growing taller, then it will eventually die off as the plant goes dormant for the summer.
This dwarf bulbous perennial is tiny but tough and must have good drainage. Perfect in a pot by the front door, on full view as you go in and out, but also happy at the front of a border, alongside a path or under a deciduous tree where they will get plenty of light when in flower. I’d like to try planting some among the sprawling stems of euphorbia myrsinites.
My choice today is ‘Harmony’, but of course there’s a wide range of hybrids and they are all beautiful.
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3 replies on “Iris reticulata ‘Harmony’”
The burning question for me now is what to do with them after flowering? I have clay soil, quite dry and sunny in some spots. Plant in the garden? Store in the garage until next autumn? Or chuck ‘em because they are cheap and don’t repeat flower well?
On the subject of early flowering ants for the pollinators I have always discovered that my pulmonaira plants are one of the earliest to flower. They have been bursting forth since January and nothing gets me more excited than walking down my long sodden garden and then hearing the buzzing of a bee that has found my huge swathes of pulmonarias
There are some real beauties amongst them such as the very beautiful all siver Diane Clair. Lovely
Paddy Walker.
Hi Paddy, Elaine here. Pulmonarias are a great shout! I love mine, particularly my pretty little P.’Sissinghurst White’ which really lights up the semi-shaded site where I grow it. I’ve just looked up ‘Diane Clair’ and she does look a particularly attractive variety – I like the idea of her bright flowers being larger than many varieties – she’s just been added to my ‘wants’ list! Thank you so much for writing in.