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Winter Blooms: Iris Reticulata

BY Kevin Lee Jacobs | January 22, 2010 4 Comments

Last updated on December 7th, 2011

I’d like you to meet Iris reticulata ‘Clairette,’ a precious flower that bloomed just today in my south window garden. Like the snowdrop, reticulata is normally grown outdoors, in rock gardens. But its true beauty is best appreciated indoors. There, at close range, you can easily see its gracefully-arched, Persian-blue petals, each of them licked with gold and splashed with snow. How I forced these tiny treasures:

Because I planted 5 of these minor bulbs in a 4-inch pot in October, and gave them 12 weeks in cold storage (followed by 3 weeks in warmth and light), they have bloomed way, way, ahead of their normal outdoor schedule. But that’s the fun of forcing hardy bulbs…we get to enjoy their poetry long before the snow melts.

For a detailed guide to forcing spring-flowering bulbs, be sure to read Hardy Bulbs for Winter Windows. And, if you are looking for tiny bulbs that will pack a lot of early brilliance into your outdoor beds, read Minor Bulbs for Major Color.

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Related Posts:
Snowdrops – A Prelude to Spring
Forcing Forsythia & Other Spring-Flowering Branches

A Winter Fling with Primroses
What Gets You Through the Winter?

Comments

  1. 1

    Justin says

    January 23, 2010 at 1:58 am

    The open flowers are adorable. Love the variegation.

    How difficult are they to force?

  2. 2

    Carol says

    January 23, 2010 at 1:06 pm

    Looks like you have captured springtime in a four inch pot! Gorgeous! Do the flowers have any scent?

  3. 3

    Kevin Lee Jacobs says

    January 23, 2010 at 2:13 pm

    Justin – Like snowdrops, Iris reticulata is very, very easy to force.

    Carol – Yes, reticulata, when held at close range, emits a soft, violet-like aroma.

  4. 4

    Randy J says

    January 23, 2010 at 3:28 pm

    Kevin,
    Beautiful! I have a penchant for minor bulbs. They are truly a lot of bang for the buck! It is true that in a pot in the house it is so much easier to appreciate the intricacies of the flowers. And in the garden they set off the taller bulbs so beautifully.
    Thank you for sharing!

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