Monday, May 14, 2012

Iris

Iris...that's the name of the Goddess of the Rainbow.
She is also the Goddess of the Sea and the Sky; she is both a messenger and a virgin.
If I was inclined to worship Greek Gods, (which I am definitely NOT!)  I am pretty sure I'd be worshipping Iris. 
She seems like one of the nicer Greek goddesses.

My mom had an Aunt Iris.
Funny, I haven't heard of any girl being named Iris in my whole life, except the my great Aunt.
Such a beautiful flower you'd think mom's would pick that name more often.

 My Dad, my Mother-in-law, our son and we are all avid iris collectors.
This time of year a peek in the garden is a daily treat as new iris flags unfurl each day.

Those of us in SLC are blessed to have an Iris Society that  holds sales of iris each summer.
They sell their extra iris at a bargain rate.
Even so...since we are greedy and can't seem to say "no" to any new variety offered, we tend to spend more than we think we will when the iris purchase is rung up.
 

Still...I can't help but think that if there had never been an iris before and suddenly someone managed to create one, the price would be astronomical.
Is there any man made sculpture than can even begin to compete with this sort of beauty?
 

Iris..so named because it is a flower that comes in all the colors of the rainbow.

So I pose a question to you: 

Can anyone have too many rainbows in their life? 

For me...the answer is no.
This year we will go to the iris sale again and collect still more and plant them against the fence at the bottom of our garden, where they will amaze us again and again.
And provide us with earth bound rainbows anew each spring.

10 comments:

Vee said...

Irises are amazing. I prefer the swap method for collecting mine, but a sale would also be good. I agree, there is no such thing as too many rainbows or irises! (I don't know anyone named "Iris.")

Kathie said...

Beautiful irises! Mine are coming along but no blooms yet. I know a few ladies named Iris. It will be funny if all the flower names came back in style. I wouldn't be surprised if they do.

ellen b. said...

They really are a beautiful flower. Lovely shots. I'm racking my brain to try to remember if I ever knew an Iris...I don't think so.

Pondside said...

No, never - irises are so beautiful and should always be planted in large numbers. I love the two-coloured ones.

Lorrie said...

Stunning irises. Really. So many variations. Mine are not yet blooming, but I see the flower buds forming.

My DIL has some gorgeous yellow irises beside her home.

What colours are you planning to get this time? Or do they just call out to you and you pick them up without a plan in mind?

Lovella ♥ said...

Oh ...those are beautiful. I am waiting for my yellow ones to open. I do enjoy the Iris even if it does spread green spikes for most of the summer with no bloom.

Vicki said...

Thank you for this post, Jill! Have I mentioned to you that the iris is my absolute favorite flower? Have I mentioned that when I left KY, I left behind a massive iris collection? Have I mentioned that just before leaving north TX, I had become involved in the local iris society? Do you realize that irises absolutely will not grow in SW FL? African irises do grow here, but it's just not the same. I miss my irises. Thank you for these beautiful photos of these beautiful flowers!

Judy said...

How can one possibly choose a favorite flower? Each one is so unique and beautiful...the iris is among the fairest, for sure! My irises came from my mother's garden...and her mother's before that. All the more reason to treasure them. But I have only one kind. Maybe I need to start working on a rainbow of irises!

Anonymous said...

They are all so beautiful!!!!!!!!!
Love you both, mom S.

Thoughts on Life and Millinery. said...

Lorrie~I will get what ever iris has a cute name (Puddy Tat is one I want to get!) or a stunning color combo. The sale usually has fifty varieties plus an action for newly developed varieties.