14 - Friday, October 21, 1988 - North Shore News THE IRIS has one of the most beautiful flowers in the plant kingdom and one which is instant- ly recognizable. It consists of two major parts: three upright or horizontal petais called standards and three lower sepals called falls. The falls are almost always marked with a con- spicuous and brightly colored spot -~- often yellow or orange — which serves to draw pollinating insects to the right spot. The iris’ unusual shape, plus the fact that standards and falls of the same iris may be different colors or shades, make iris flowers stand out from the crowd. There are some 100 species of irises found throughout the world, including several in Canada, and quite a few are also cultivated for their attractive flowers. The blue flag (iris versicolor) is one of the most attractive native irises and can be easily grown in the garden, as can its yellow-flowered Euro- pean counterpart, the yellow flag (Iris pseudacorus). The latter has. become natural- ized in many areas of the country. Among other well-known garden species are the easily grown Siberian iris (Uris siberica), forming attractive seed pods, the exotic but rather difficult Japanese iris (Iris kaempferi) and, of course, the most popular of them all, the German or bearded iris (Iris ger- Garden indoors From page 13 lightly, checking for soft spots and signs of rot. The most important considera- tion in the cultivation of this beautiful planting is the develop- ment of the root structure. If you soak the roots and base of the bulb in water for four or five days, it will speed up the pro- cess Plant the bulb in a light, well- drained, sterilized potting mix. Try three parts peat, one part sand and one part vermiculite. Add one ta- blespoon of bonemeai per quzt and blend well. Good drainage is a must, so clay pots are preferred. Make sure the diameter of the pot is at least three inches larger than that of the bulb. Pour the soil into a conical shape in the bottom of the pot. Spread the roots out over the cone and fill in with soil. Gently press the soil down around the outer edge and water well. You will get the best results if _you can supply bottom heat to en- courage root growth and a cold ‘dark environment to supress top ‘growth. A wooden box (or some such) with a light bulb under it, works quite well when placed in a " garden shed or unheated garage. «« Keep an eye out for the emerg- “ing flower spikes and continue to keep the soil moist (not wet). After it (or they) have reached a height of four to six inches, bring the plant indoors. Place it in a cool, bright window and continue watering. If the room is too warm the flowers will not LIFESTYLES eet the eye manica). Although many of the above plants bear tubers and are therefore officially bu'!bous plants, they are treated as garden peren- nials by most gardeners and are usually classified under that heading in gardening books. There are also irises which pro- duce true bulbs, most of which, such as I. reticulata, [. danfordiae and I, histrioides, are tiny plants blooming very early in spring on 4’’ (10 cm) stems. There is, how- ever, another bulbous iris which stands head and shoulders above all others in economic importance: the Dutch iris. It results from crosses between different later- blooming European bulbous irises such as I. xiphium, the Spanish rls. That the Dutch iris should be so important commercially may be a surprise to many Canadian gardeners, as it is rarely grown outdoors here. In fact, it has only minor importance as an outdoor bulb even in warmer climates. Instead, where the Dutch iris re- ally shines is in its use as a cut flower. Since the bulbs can be so easily forced, it is the only type of iris available to florists throughout the year, with peak sales .during winter and spring. Some 200 mil- lion cut flower. irises are sold through auctions each year and the Dutch iris is the tenth most impor- tant cut flower in the world. ‘Wedgewood’ was for many years the top Dutch iris and is also one of the first hybrids produced. Market leaders are now ‘Ideal’ (violet blue), ‘Prof. Blaauw’ (dark bluc), ‘Blue Magic’ (violet), ‘White Wedgewood’ (white), ‘Apollo’ (yellow and white) and ‘Yellow Queen’ (yelfow). Dutch irises are always cut and sold in bud, a great advantage to both florists and consumers, since they are therefore practically im- mune to damage during transit. When purchasing them as cut flowers, always pick flowers which are not yet open, as they have the longest vase life. After buying them, let therm ab- sorb plenty of fresh water, leaving them in a cool place for several hours. Then fill a clean vase with a solution of cut flower preservative and water. This will lengthen the vase life by half. Next, cut %”’ to I’? (2 to 2 cm) from the bottom of the stem with a sharp knife and arrange the flowers in the vase. If they fail to open, it may be that the sheath (the leaf-like bract that protects the petals) is too tough and it should therefore be cut off. If the water level drops, always add some more cut flower preservative and water to the vase: never change the water FO R YO st ®Reface or replace your existing cabinets Redo the B counters #. eKitchen & bathroom remodelling our specialty- CO-ORDINATED KITCHENS Hi Established 1974 ; 225 East First, North Van. Mosaic Tile SM 2240 1%%1%" SB 1700 Series 24'"*1%," AC Series 3%"«3%" CY Series 44” New Arrival | 19,000 sq.ft., 7 popular colours 985-9128 | BO seat 3° feq.ft. 8"x8" Gerbi (Monocutura) (while quantities last) itself. If you can also protect the _" irises from draughts, these splen- did cut flowers will last for a very long time indeed. 1859 COMMERCIAL DR. 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