Grown for their spectacular flowers in a wide variety of beautiful colors-some with distinctive striped and speckled markings-and for their architectural leaves, iris are an immensely rewarding plant for gardener and collector alike. The easy-to-grow bearded, Siberian, and bulbous irises make a valuable addition to the perennial or mixed border. There are further groups suitable for rock garden, bog garden, and water gardening. The popular Pacific Coast irises are similarly adaptable.The Gardener's Guide to Growing Irises is a comprehensive and wide-ranging study of a large genus with a complex classification. A traditional classification chapter explains how the genus is made up and will prove fascinating for the more botanically minded. To ensure that the book is valuable to gardeners and specialists alike, the plants are grouped according to their place in the classification and their garden-worthy attributes are emphasized so that recommended species for the water garden, the shady garden, the rock garden, the cut flower border, the summer border, and the specialist border are all clearly documented. The book features a wealth of practical advice on special garden uses, cultivation, propagation, and pest and disease control.

Committed enthusiasts will enjoy the chapters on irises for the specialist/collector, iris family relatives, and the information on hybridizing and new cultivars.The book is illustrated with superbly detailed photographs and informative line drawings which are both inspirational and helpful in identification. The Gardeners Guide to Growing Iris will delight iris lovers, convert those new to the genus, and perhaps even inspire a new generation of iris growers.