Japanese Water Iris

The magic of Iris Ensata is apparent in this photo.  A tightly wrapped flower bud is about to open into a complex broad blossom.  Hours have been devoted to trying to catch the moment of unfurling but it has yet to be seen.  Nearly daily rain has limited our time in the garden this month and the weeds are growing explosively.  We have no time to stand around waiting for these flowers to open but it must look mystical.

This beauty has been with us for several years.  We were able to lever it out of the ground and divide it in the past.  A five foot pry bar and a 4 inch square block of wood multiplied my arm force sufficiently to raise the entire plant up from the ground.  Its root mass extended under the dry stone wall that serves as the foundation for the shed.  Passing time has left its mark and I am unsure if uprooting this plant can be repeated.

Five different times we ordered new plants.  All are single despite catalog pictures showing doubles.  That is fine with us since the relative simplicity of a single flower displays the complex beauty of these plants.  Time of open flowers is a disadvantage here.  Flowers last only slightly longer than day lilies.  In both instances, it seems a shame that such exquisite beauty should exist for only a brief moment.

As mentioned, the weeds have really taken hold of our garden.  However, if one's focus is directed toward the open flowers, then weeds seem to disappear.  Nothing can detract from the visual impact of this pure white flower.  Late June is made special here by these Japanese Iris.

Japanese Iris

Several winters ago, I spent many hours looking at Van Bourgondien's catalog.  Images of a Freckled Geisha iris captivated me.  One was ordered but it was two or three years before it flowered.  Six white falls edged with red-violet and richly flecked with the same red-violet are characteristics of a Freckled Geisha.  My plant has only three solid purple falls.

The iris was vigorous and it had to be divided last fall.  A five foot pry bar was needed to lever the monster out of the ground.  The two spade trick made one plant five.  One piece was returned to the original spot and the other plants were taken to the back where they were planted near our pond.  Soil near the pond is rich and wild plants grow fiercely there.  The iris had no trouble claiming their place.  They should thrive in the abundant moisture near the pond.  We plan to place one plant in the water to see if it will grow immersed.

I prefer the more natural flower with only three falls.  White veins across a royal purple petal create a beautiful flower.  The splash of yellow completes the picture.  This plant is a treasure but we wonder if it is a named variety.

A new source of Japanese iris was found.  Descriptions of named varieties were featured in this catalog.  Picotee Wonder was our first selection.  White falls edged with purple were promised.  In its third year here, flower buds were finally seen.  The tightly twisted cone shows far to much blue for a white flower.  Still the process followed to unfurl a flower is amazing.  It opens rather quickly but as I stand and watch nothing seems to happen.

Cobalt blue flowers with a yellow throat are characteristics of another catalog variety called Temple Bells.  Our three year wait yielded no Picotee Wonder.  Once again the flower we have is beautiful but it is not what we ordered.

Over the years five different Japanese iris have been ordered.  Only two have flowered but a newer plant is showing pink buds.  Whatever the outcome with plant number three, I think that there will be no more of these plants purchased here.  We cannot find a spot for all of the plants that will spring from the five already purchased.  Still, we wonder with excitement what the pink buds will unfurl.