Iris

Working at Longstock Park I become a foster parent to a wide variety of plants and get the joy of watching them come into flower before an impulsive/deliberate buy see’s them whisked away to there new permeant home. There is no plant that I watch with such anticipation than that of the genus Iris. one of my personal favourites I have already watched so many come and go this year from the winter flowering Iris unguicularis to the mighty spring champions from the bearded groups. Now the time has come for the greatest of all the Iris (In my eyes). A species that I couldn’t possibly grow in my own garden due to the lack of moisture and its hillside chalky location. Therefore I relish the chance to nurture these bog/waterside lovers until the time comes for them to leave the nursery with there new adoptee. Iris ensata or The Japanese Iris although its range is also within china and Russia is one of the largest flowering Iris you can grow. These bad boys need to have wet feet and a low pH although I don’t believe this. As long as the soil is fertile I’m sure this would suffice as I have seen them growing in the nearby river Test which is a chalk stream (higher pH but fertile). If you can offer the wet fertile footing and a sunny to part sun position then i urge you to grow these beautiful plants. One that has caught my eye this year is Iris ensata ‘Pink Frost’ growing to around 90cm tall. The flowers emerge in there upwards spears as a pink but as soon the petals throw their heads back they turn a white with slightest remebermance of the pink it once was.

Iris ensata ‘Pink Frost’ ‘spear’

Iris ensata ‘Pink Frost’ ‘open’

Iris ensata ‘Ruby king’ also gets to around 90 cm tall.

Iris ensata ‘Variegata’ has a laxed and smaller flower than most ensata types but wonderfully white variegation to the foliage. Giving this iris a longer season of interest unlike most iris which are very ephemeral.

Iris ensata ‘Moonlight Waves’ is a strong favourite of mine having a slight scent but this is subject to the conditions which you keep it. It has the largest roundest flowers of any ensata I know which in the world of iris ensata cultivars isn’t many but with hundred of varieties I doubt that i will ever get to know them as well as this one.