From “Iris: The Flower of the Rainbow” in Flowers in History by Peter Coats:
“Iris was the Goddess of the Rainbow, and in Greek mythology she is hardly distinguishable from the natural phenomenon itself. On occasions she seems to have acted as messenger from the gods, as a link between Olympus and mortals below, in that she touched both sky and earth….
“Iris, the flower, may surely be said to have borrowed its various colors from the sky. There are few iris in cultivation which are, in color, different to the tints the sky can show, and there are few skies, of untroubled blue, thundery purple, fresh primrose or dying pink, which might not find their colors reflected in the petals of the modern iris….”
From “Over the Rainbow: Bearded Irises and Your Garden” in A Guide to Bearded Irises: Cultivating the Rainbow for Beginners and Enthusiasts by Kelly Norris:
“Biologists surmise that elaborate patterning in flowers like the iris probably results in response to pollinators. It’s hard to imagine what iris patterns look like to bees or other insects…. The next time you’re in the garden, just imagine what a bee thinks.”
Hello!
This is the second of two posts showing irises from Oakland Cemetery’s gardens featuring pink, peach, and orange colors. The first post is Irises in Pink, Peach, and Splashes of Orange (1 of 2).
My previous iris posts for this year are:
Irises in Blue and Purple Hues (2 of 2)
Irises in Blue and Purple Hues (1 of 2)
Black Iris Variations (and Hallucinations)
Thanks for taking a look!
Another luscious iris. You sure are finding them.
Yes, I am! And I still got purple and violet, white, yellow, and burgundy getting developed in the “darkroom”!
Stunning
Thank you!
These are such beauties!
Yes, they are, and thank you!
Like delicate pages of Mother Nature’s book opening up for us to read her story
Thank you, and definitely! These softer colors really showed off the irises shapes and textures, and I was glad to have found them!