Irises

The iris are blooming this week.  I was looking through old pictures and the first week of May is usually when the swords send up their flags.  Our irises are mostly purple, which I like.  Sometimes, I wish we had the Great Bearded Irises that I grew up with and which came from a stock from my Mother's Mother's farm -- but they died out or were eaten decades ago.  Oh well.

I think this will be a good iris year, there's been an (over?) abundance of rain, it's been pleasantly cool, and the irises have many buds waiting for the sun to come out, which it's supposed to do in a few days.  I'm thinking with the increased light and heat, the iris will put out a much stronger scent.  I love the earthy, not quite licorice, not quite patchouli, sugary, potent, warm, and dark fragrance -- like the purple hearts of the iris were transforming sunlight into incense for the night.