Little Iris

April is a wonderful time to look at tiny little iris. In that largish raised bed under the linden tree, all the little iris reticulata are blooming. They start out very very close to the ground but daily their stems get a bit taller, as if they're lifting their blue or purple heads to look out at passers-by. They smell good.

The little iris have markings, like gold on the purple, bright yellow on the light blue ones. Before the hail the other day, I cut one, with some little greenery, and had it inside to enjoy in that frail little glass vase I bought with Alex at the Naperville fair.

Sniffing it inside surprised me, the fragrance lasted so many days.

There are bright little yellow crocus with them, and one or two chionodoxa.

I put in blue scilla along the driveway last year but they won't show for another month, I guess. Here we only have big crocus, even Ladykiller (still!) and the yellow aconite. I have the iris in front because I loved them in back, and the older ones are still a more vivid purple, more robust, and in bigger bunches. Just blazing away.

Those old First Crocus by the side of the house in the sun still come up, big and first. I ought to get a whole bunch more next fall and stick them in with all that periwinkle, why have just one yellow and one blue for First?