Iris japonica

My gardening friend, Elizabeth, first introduced me to this charming flower and my patch of them started with a bit gifted from her garden. The little flower is so delicate and intricately decorated, that they almost don’t look real. But real, they are, liking a damp but not swampy soil and partial shade. They increase modestly through rhizomes. They can neglect to bloom in the spring if the winter was a bit too cold and not to their liking. But after their sulk, they will present their flowers if the weather was not too harsh.