Spring bulbs are about to make their debut just as excited gardeners finish tidying up their flower beds in preparation. It can be a surprise who arrives first, though there is typically an order in ...

Three years ago, Maggie Sullivan of North Portland planted a bed of dwarf iris in her front yard. The Iris reticulata , which she bought from the at a sale at Portland Nursery (the 2012 sale is Aug.

Specialty bulbs, sometimes called minor bulbs, reflect the many other spring bulb treasures that can be planted in fall to herald the next growing season. Because many are diminutive, they are perfect ...

As a child growing up in the mountains of Western North Carolina, I thought irises were part of the orchid family because their blooms were just as spectacular and exotic. I would find native irises ...

An early season garden tour showcased various blooming flowers, including peonies, amsonia, chives, poppies and yarrows. The tour highlighted several iris varieties, notably the large, uniquely ...

I SHOULD be surprised if any gardener who has the good fortune to come across them could resist 'reticulate' irises, the early-flowering dwarf variety which takes its name from the netting that ...

Iris may no longer be the most popular of flowers, but they retain the mysterious magic developed over centuries. Even the tiny spring-flowerers exert a charm far beyond their physical size. Did you ...

In Greek mythology, Iris was the goddess of the rainbow, a messenger who brought an arc of color to the sky. In our gardens, the blooms of the iris bring a rainbow of color to our landscape. It ...

True, the Oxfordshire gardens are not at their best in winter but there is still plenty to see, including the tiny dwarf Iris reticulata scattered like gems around the grounds. The Alpine Garden has a ...

This is the time of year when lovers send each other flowers. However, nature too bestows us with gifts of flowering blooms. Looking out of my living room window I can see my garden beginning to stir ...