All eyes on the iris
They are as flamboyant as a race-day hat, so it seems fitting that the iris gets a show all of its own.
The Iris Show is an annual offering of the best blooms from the Rangitı¯kei branch of the New Zealand Iris Society.
‘‘They will be at their peak when the show is on, and it’s a thrill to see them. I just love them in all their varieties,’’ said member Carole Flyger.
The show in Palmerston North next weekend will be a celebration of the vast range of varieties, which will be on show and for sale.
Flyger said it was a good chance for the society, which has about 30 members locally, to show the breadth of colour and types.
Her own passion for iris growing began at an iris show. ‘‘I never knew much about irises, and then I was asked to bring some blooms into an iris show to display, and I was just astounded by all the colours that were available.’’
She said she really got hooked after that, and had been growing them ever since. She extended her flower garden to house more irises, ‘‘but that wasn’t big enough’’, so she then took over the vegetable garden.
‘‘But then that wasn’t big enough, and so I took over a friend’s front lawn.’’
When her friend moved, Flyger bought a cottage that had a good plot of land behind it. She rents out the cottage, and concedes it was the land she wanted, not the house. She now has about 400 varieties of iris.
‘‘They are all just so fabulous – the shades and the tones are really beautiful. I just love everything about them.’’
Flyger said she hoped the show would encourage people to grow irises and get involved in the Iris Society.
The Iris Show will be held at the Ferguson St Leisure Centre in Palmerston North next Sunday. The public can bring blooms in for judging on Saturday from 11am to 2pm.