Friday, February 11, 2011

Iris reticulata 'Pauline'

This little beauty might not make it until Garden Bloggers Bloom Day on the 15th so I took its photo even though the light was already gone from that bed. What a surprise to see a new flower after last night's 20ºF! The prediction for tonight is 24ºF - then no more hard freezes for a while.

This is Iris reticulata 'Pauline', bulbs bought at the Natural Gardener in December. I used to grow several varieties of this iris in Illinois but haven't seen one in flower since 1999. Somehow it feels like a symbol of hope on this historic day.
at

10 comments:

  1. RBellFri Feb 11, 06:53:00 PM 2011

    Nice color on the blossom; really surprised to see it blooming during these cold nights!

    ReplyDelete
  2. AnonymousFri Feb 11, 07:42:00 PM 2011

    What a gal! She's worthy of anything she desires this summer - extra water, a little afternoon shade in August - whatever she wants. What a sweet surprise.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Cindy, MCOKFri Feb 11, 09:46:00 PM 2011

    Annie, that's gorgeous! I hope tonight is the last of the hard freezes for both of us!

    ReplyDelete
  4. CarolineFri Feb 11, 10:20:00 PM 2011

    How neat! I love it.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Phillip OliverFri Feb 11, 10:37:00 PM 2011

    It is beautiful. Your forecast sounds just like ours - 23 tonight and warmer weather all next week.

    ReplyDelete
  6. UnknownFri Feb 11, 10:55:00 PM 2011

    Ah, lovely...I don't expect to see MY irises for some time yet, as we have 3-6 foot snowdrifts everywhere on our property. Maybe by May....

    ReplyDelete
  7. Annie in AustinSat Feb 12, 12:00:00 AM 2011

    Thanks for commenting! It's a very small iris, but intense in color. Think I'd better go unplug the birdbath fountain before we sink down below freezing again.

    Annie

    ReplyDelete
  8. Carol MichelSat Feb 12, 07:47:00 AM 2011

    I love those Iris reticulata and will start looking for signs of mine in a few weeks as the ice melts.

    ReplyDelete
  9. Lisa at GreenbowSun Feb 13, 05:52:00 AM 2011

    What a sweet reminder that spring is on its way.

    ReplyDelete
  10. JayneSun Feb 13, 11:45:00 AM 2011

    What a lovely bloom. Definitely a harbinger of spring.

    ReplyDelete

A comment from you is like chocolate - maybe I could live without it, but life is more fun with it. I'll try to answer. If someone else's comment piques your interest, please feel free to talk among yourselves.