You don’t need to wait until spring to enjoy the sight and scent of iris in bloom. Select the right species and you will have unbeatable petal power from November until March – both outdoors and in – says Graham Rice
AN iris that flowers in the middle of winter? Sounds a little too good to be true, doesn’t it. However, there are two species that fit the bill – along with a select group of invaluable varieties to provide intrepid winter colour and unexpected cut flowers. What’s more, they are all tough and easy to grow.
Available to buy now from good garden centres, these iris originate in warmer climates than ours – north Africa, Turkey, the eastern Mediterranean and even Syria. Yet they seem perfectly happy in the UK’s colder, wetter winters, opening an abundance of large, prettily patterned flowers over many winter months.
This story is from the January 13,2018 edition of Amateur Gardening.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the January 13,2018 edition of Amateur Gardening.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
Save your own seeds
Masterclass on: seed saving
A bolt from the blue!
Cornflowers are perfect for garden and vase
Winter moth prevention
Ruth shows you how to avoid maggoty tree fruits
Create a winter container
There are as many options as in summer
Autumn price round-up
AG finds better bargains in lesser-known brands
Rudbeckias
Rudbeckias are ideal for sunny summer patios and borders, with some able to survive our coldest winters
Autumn rose maintenance
Cut back, mulch and remove diseased stems, says Ruth
Keep the lawn looking good
Remove dead material and keep the soil healthy
Cutting back in autumn
Masterclass on: tidying up for winter
Sugar high
When contemplating trees to blaze a trail in a garden, there is nothing sweeter than the sugar maple, says Toby