Iris
Wednesday, June 04, 2014
When I was a boy in Argentina
plants somehow were always part of my life even though I was not consciously
interested in them. Walking to school from the Belgrano R station meant that while
walking under the jacarandás I would either step on either their falling blue flowers
or their large pods which we called chauchas. Riding the train home to Coghlan I would notice the blue or
white flowers of morning glories. I was much too young to understand the difference
between garden worthy plants and weeds.
My mother cultivated a beautiful garden
that featured a large wisteria, many oleanders and plants that grow in the zone
of Buenos Aires which is identical to South Africa. This meant we had
irises and calla lilies. I think that my mother in a futile attempt to make me
interested in the garden planted snapdragons. I still remember where they grew
in the long narrow garden that we had. I was more interested in the many plum trees, the backyard fig tree and the níspero (loquat). I would climb them to eat their fruit. I tried a green persimmon (my father called it a kaki) once and that was enough. My mouth puckered up and I thought it was going to close in on itself.
I never connected the relationship between
the irises to my Aunt Iris Hayward. My father insisted in pronouncing iris and
Aunt Iris in Spanish. Sort of eerees (but you must place your tongue closer to
your upper front teeth to get that Spanish r). I simply never connected even
though my grandmother had some Filipino friends, the Moretas, whose many
children (I think there were eight of them) were either (the men) named after
biblical angels or archangels or (the women) after flowers. I only remember Violeta
Moreta.
My knowledge of iris the flower ends right
there. I know that my wife (she is snobbish in her choice of garden plants)
considers bearded irises as common fodder but appreciates Siberian irisis and
Iris ensata (Japanese iris).
But through the years of gardening here in Vancouver I do know that
irises need full sun (in short supply in our shady garden). I have also heard
Rosemary say that their flowers are short-lived. But both of us appreciate the
Iris pseudacorus (Flag Iris). In spite of the shade of our side-garden pond
they grow well (they are supposed to be invasive) and flower (yellow).
My Spanish Dictionary (Real Academia
Española) informs me that iris derives from the Latin and it means rainbow. In
Spanish we unnecessarily call a rainbow an arco iris. It would seem according
to the mataburros (donkey killer is an epithet for dictionary in Spanish) that
iris is sufficient. It is because iris plants come in so many colours that they
have been given that name
Further exploration has made me learn that
the Florentine Iris, also known as Orris Root is used for perfumes and is one
of the special ingredients of Bombay Sapphire Gin.
The Iris has suddenly made its appearance
in our garden. A nearby house was sold and then sold again. We noticed the
demolition markers on the sidewalk. So Rosemary and I “liberated” some of the
plants. I know my father would have opted for the word pinch. In that garden
there were two large irises with blue buds. Rosemary uncharacteristically
nodded in the affirmative when I pointed my spade at them.
One week later the two irises are in bloom (very dark
blue) in her perennial bed which is the sunniest in our garden. Today I cut one
of them to scan.
I can report that besides being very
beautiful their scent resembles cocoa powder.
