An Eye For Irises

The Irises are showing their faces in many gardens now in the beginning of Spring flowering.

Their unusual beautiful flowers coming in many colours, white though to deep purple, are looking stunning in the gardens, making a bold statement with their strong stance and flower.

I love Irises, with their tall elegance and showy colourful flowers, giving your garden so much colour and style.

The Iris, takes its name from the Greek word Rainbow referring to the wide variety of flower colors among the many species of Irises.

Irises are perennial herbs, growing from creeping rhizomes and in very dry climates from a bulb.

My first Iris came from a friend, in the shape of a rhizome with a few leaves attached to it. Not much to look at at the time but over the years it has formed clumps which I have been separating in the cooler months, autumn or spring, to make many plants which have then been planted around the garden in different sunny spots.

Now I have quite a few that flower in Springtime, in white, blue and purple making for a very colorful and attractive garden.

They are one of my favorite plants as they is so exciting to watch grow over the seasons, producing the most exotic flower seen when in flowers.

Did you know that the Iris has healing proprieties and health benefits?

Yellow Irises are used to treat infections such as dandruff, wounds and also makes an excellent diuretic and tonic.

It is used to treat bronchitis conditions, rheumatism and in compress form, ache.

In some cultures the rhizome or part of, are given to teething babies to ease the process.

Using the rhizome of the Iris, a powder is made, which is used for local washing in some communities, definitely environmentally friendly.

A Iris wine can also be made with the Iris root, adding ginger,sugar and later milk and powdered almonds. Sounds like a tasty concoction

As you can see there is so much more to the Iris plant, not just a pretty face!

But most of all it is the stunning appearance of the Iris that attracts us all.

The Iris has inspired some of the best painters ever. Vincent Van Gogh and Monet being among a few.