March 2007

[Lesley Cox]

Ian, put the iris pic on the Iris page please and see what the opinion is. Are you sure it's unguicularis x cretensis? Maybe ung var. cretensis or even just I. cretensis? Whatever, it's very good. Wish mine flowered so freely. But if it IS a hybrid, that would account for it, unguicularis free flowering with cretensis foliage and stature.

[Lesley Cox]

After another look, the flowers do look to have too much colour and substance to be straight cretensis. As MAaggi says, lucky man!

[Hans J]

Hi all ,

Here is a picture from one of my travels - I suppose it is Iris cretensis .
I saw this plants in flower on the mountains above the Lassithi plateau
( Crete ) on easter 2000 .

Many greetings
Hans

[Lesley Cox]

The more I look at Ian's compared with Hans,' the more I think you're right Ian and it probably is a hybrid, in which case I'll have to do a bit of fiddling with a paint brush in the spring.

[tonyg]

Iris suaveolens on a raised bed and Dionysia aretioides under glass are basking in the warm spring sunshine.

The dionysia is going to have an awayday in Kent this weekend .... anyone else going to the AGS show?

[Maggi Young]

Tony, there will be Scots going to the Blackpool Show, that's for sure. I'm told the some of the Glaswegians were down at Loughborough, a five and a half hour drive down there! Ah, the lure of the dionysia !!

[Lesley Cox]

Still no pics appearing.

[mark smyth]

yeah none for me either nor in the Crocus forum

[ian mcenery]

Lesley the fact is that  I have had the Iris for so long (this is a second generation plant) that I can't really be sure of its pedigree. I had this plant a long time ago from Percy Picton a real plantsman who knew a thing or two about plants and always seemed to have the best forms. Your suggestion that it may be Unguicularis var cretensis may be correct and my memory may just be letting me down.

Maggi I thought the Erythronium a little early and this on quite took me by  suprise as I hadn't noticed it above ground before I took the picture. Maggi if you would like a piece of the Iris let me know. lesley I presume that this would be out of the question for you

[Lesley Cox]

Yes, I'm afraid it would Ian, though if you get any seed sometime? I still owe you for some very nice seed of black single and double hellebores. Good little plants by now, thanks.

[Anthony Darby]

That form of unguicularis looks much more floriferous than mine, which flowers every three years. I bought another from John Amand at the EBD and hope it is better?

[Maggi Young]

 Ian, I would be thrilled to have a little piece, if you can spare it.   I have not had much success with Iris unguicularis nor Iris japonica, I must admit, so feel free to decide that Aberdeen is not a good enough home for it! Now I have a "vacancy" at the bottom of a south wall, which should suit it, I would hope to do better!
One of my fondest  SRGC memories is of James and Calla Cobb arriving here for supper,( before a local Group Meeting where James was to give a Talk), with a superb bunch of Iris unguicularis.... many different forms, each lovelier than the last and with a scent that was heavenly.... so they grow well in Kingsbarns!!


What a difference a day or two makes at this time of year. In the open garden the Erythronium dens canis have sprung up from nowhere, and are opening at speed. Not the white forms, as yet, interestingly.

[TC]

I saw this as I was on my way to Morrison's for petrol.  It was a pity that the sun had disappeared before I managed to take the pictures.  Even then massed plantings are spectacular in any weather.

[hadacekf]

Hello,
I am not an iris expert, but I saw Iris cretensis in Greece. Iris cretensis Janka (syn. I. cretica, I. unguicularis ssp. cretensis). An iris with very narrow grassy leaves (1- 3 mm broad).
I. unguicularis Poir. ( syn. I. stylosa) is the most commonly grown winter flowering iris with leaves 6-10 mm broad. Native of North Africa.
Both are variable in the wild as to leaf width, colour, vigour,  flower size and overall size!

[KentGardener]

Nice Pictures Tom

I notice your signoff doesn't mention where you are.  Where is your Morrisons located?  Very spectacular show - is it a local park? 

thanks for sharing

John