I found this blue iris down the block. The iris is one of my favorite flowers...right up there with the tulip. Day before yesterday I was with Dennis and Liz driving through Woodburn, Oregon when we passed field after field of iris—blue, purple, yellow, gold and white—a lot like the tulip and daffodil fields of La Conner, Washington. Dennis told me that the iris are grown for their bulbs and not picked for their flowers. There are more than 260 varieties...their name is from the Greek for rainbow. It's easy to see why some are called "flags". Next summer I want to visit the iris farms. I don't necessarily want to learn all about habitats, rhizomes, inflorescences or perianths—I just want to see the variety and soak up the amazing colors.
