Early Risers
Early March is often dominated by the yellow of daffodils, so miniature irises provide a welcome colour contrast with their upright stance, tufts of green foliage and richly embroidered flowers, mostly in purple, blue, violet and sapphire hues. They’re miniature tapestries against the bare earth, the jewels in the spring crown, and they reveal their presence reassuringly early, with plump pointed spears often piercing the ground by November, before flowering in March.
These diminutive irises need careful placing so that they’re in open light by mid-autumn. They also need a warm and reasonably well-drained situation, such as a south-facing border or the sunny side of a
