Show 1 Iris ris ri's Needs Little Care For Beauty By MAUD fAUD AUD CHEGWIDDEN Telegram rant Garden Editor If any anyone one in my hearing scornfully scornfully scornfully scorn scorn- fully refers to an iris as a flag I think I sh shall be compelled to smite that person The The f common purple iris which blooms early cary botanically and the similar white Iris which is Florentina have been much maligned maligned ma- ma because they grow prolific pro- pro Uy lly and ke keep p on living Jiving when every other flower near them has died from neglect To our grandmothers grandmothers grandmothers grand grand- mothers they were were flags and they w were re cherished To the present day blaso blas gardener they are often objects objects ob- ob of withering scorn Plant Is Rugged Commonness does unfortunately in n more walks of life Ute than in gardening gardening gardening gar gar- dening make for contempt But this Ms is unfortunate in such a a. flower flow- flow sr er as the iris which might be used to advantage in so many places where weeds flourish It Is that very rugged characteristic of the IrIs that propensity for thriving under inder the most adverse conditions that should make it valuable for these very same common purple and white irises might be planted along strips of roadside or on barren barren barten bar bar- ren ten hillsides and not only would they continue blooming year aft after r year but they would choke choka out weeds eventually Never throw throwaway away an iris root There is always some wa way that yo yocan you youcan can dispose of it to advantage either through asking neighbors if they know of others who ar are starting starting starting start start- ing a garden and would cherish your surplus or by giving them to children for their own gardens or orby orby orby by by offering them to schools or churches or parks or most or-most most Unselfish unselfish un- un selfish plan of all all by by taking them in n the car along with a spade and planting them in some strip of waste ground Need Little Water Vater These commoner irises get along with surprisingly little water and there here is almost always enough rain In n early spring coupled with winter winter win win- ter snows to provide what they need It is true that the roo roots you plant may be yanked out by vandals vandals van van- dals dais the following year or they may be taken up and carried home by some hungry flower-hungry person who perhaps couldn't afford to buy them But some will remain to bloom year after year and add their moi moiety ty of ot loveliness to our arid and sadly barren west Several amateur gardeners that I know w who have found their irises to multiply beyond all conscience have planted their extra roots along alleys alley in the rear of their homes or have put them in the parking strip In one street the original irises have grown and increased so much that the entire block has irises thickly planted all down the parking parking park park- ing lug and its it's its it's a charming sight Lots easier easler to take care of than lawn Jawn tO too If It you object to the appearance appearance appearance appear appear- ance of the iris foliage during the summer an and fall all throw a package of f seeds of such an annual as the theP P poppy or larkspur or bachelor buttons buttons buttons but but- tons among the irises and you will have gay color all the year Find some way of using the rapid increase of the iris to good advantage advantage division division and moving may take place any time after they have bloomed bloomed- bloomed and and nd please please e dont don't call an iris a flag |