Iris Gardens

I took the children on a "quick" trip to the iris gardens (Schreiner's Iris Gardens) this morning.  We took our sketchbooks and spent a good 2+ hours sketching and walking around the display garden.  I never knew how much I loved Irises!!  

I think perhaps they are not as appreciated as they should be.  They don't have the vibrance that tulips do, or the early color burst of the daffodil, or the showiness of the rhododendrons and azaleas.  But they have something very very special...they are the flower that breaks the color rules, combining colors that don't really "go" together and colors not normally found in flowers.  They have tans, browns, muddied purples, and grays; lights mixed with darks; veiny contrasts; and delicate ruffled petals.  They are a flower to appreciate up close with their earthy spicy scent and their strange color combinations.  I found myself seeing irises in an entirely new way and I recorded (in photograph and writing) a large collection of irises that I would love to have in the garden.  I am thinking perhaps a special bed all of their own near the vegetable garden.

The nice thing about the Iris display garden was that it was mixed in with lots of other flowers.  There were black elderberries, rhodies, lupines, delphinium, pansies, peonies, columbines...all in lovely bloom.





We got there shortly after opening and the children quickly found a spot to sit down and sketch. 







Look at this!  Mustard yellow, bright yellow, lavender?  






I love black(ish) flowers.  I think perhaps I should have a black and white garden too!



More tans and muddy lavender combinations:


Those delicate petals!  I love their movement.

The children really liked this one.



I really have a thing for these mustardy tanish iris.












Brighton loved the peonies the best and Jubilee wants to plant delphinium.




This is my sketch and I used watercolor pencils to get a foundation for color.  I need to go back and do the actual watercolor.

Sawyer

Jubilee

Evi

Brighton

Brighton

Glorielle

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