Over Christmas I took some time to look through the archives of flower photographs I’ve taken over the past 9 years whilst working as a cut-flower gardener and designer. There’s still quite a number of photos that haven’t yet made it onto paper, so this year I’m adding a new print to the main collection every month. Each print in this new series will be available until the last day of the month it gets released, at which point it’ll be replaced with a new one. I’ve started the series off with an image of dwarf Iris and Crocuses (above). These tiny beauties will ordinarily start flowering in February but because I tend to be a little impatient and desperate to see flowers in the new year, I grow these Iris in a cool room or cold frame to get a sneak preview in late January. Here in the Peak District, North England we’ve had a lot rain and dark days over the last couple of weeks so I found myself drawn to the clear light & elegant shapes in this photograph.
These dwarf Iris, known as Iris reticulata are grown from small bulbs which are pleasingly inexpensive to buy. In autumn I like to plant them into an array of small old terracotta pots and top them off with a dressing of horticultural grit.
Another great way to grow Iris reticulata is to plant them as the top layer in larger pots, with Narcissus & Tulip bulbs buried deeper beneath. This way you can have Iris to enjoy in February, followed by Narcissus and Tulips between March and May. They also have a charming habit of leaving their slender, upright leaves behind after the flowers have faded which I like to see too… every little counts in February!
The Crocuses in the new print were also grown in small terracotta pots. Although they do wonderfully well growing in the ground, due to the fact they’re so tiny I always like to have some in pots to pick up for closer appreciation. One year I had them displayed on a table near to where I was working and saw just how amazingly attractive they are to bees… I would see bumble bees tumbling around in crocus flowers hardly big enough to contain their huge furry bodies. If I ever have a garden with a lawn I’ll plant these Crocus into it in huge swathes as an early food source. What a treat to give the bees, and what a treat we get back, to see them bumbling around so early in the year!
If like me you’re craving to see more flowers around now, I recommend giving these Iris and Crocus a try for some extra delight towards the end of winter. You could even look out for the varieties in January’s print which are all really worth growing! Their names are: Iris reticulata 'Blue Note’, 'Katharine Hodgkin’, ‘Pauline’, Iris reticulata, 'Katherine's Gold’, alongside Crocus chrysanthus ‘Advance’, 'Cream Beauty’ & 'Blue Pearl’. All beauties!
Becky x
