A neighbor stopped by not long ago and said, “What are those beautiful aqua iris by your front walk?” The iris in question were small but glorious, resembling a cluster of orchids or a small flock of butterflies hovering just above ground level. The three outer petals or falls of each one were pale aqua-blue with darker blue stripes and yellow throats freckled in black. The standards or upright petals were blue and white-striped. The petals had a slight grayish cast, which only added to their overall beauty. Each plant was only about four inches tall and bore a single bloom that lasted several days.
The small spring miracle adorning my front walk was Iris ‘Katherine Hodgkin’. Next fall I think I will install about 100 more of them. I suspect my neighbor won’t be far behind.
‘Katherine Hodgkin’ looks like it should be an antique variety with a provenance dating back to at least the nineteenth century. It is actually mid-twentieth century product, born in 1958, when Eisenhower inhabited the White House and the Baby Boom was in full swing. It is part of a group of small iris species, varieties and hybrids, classified as “reticulated.” This descriptor refers to the net-like sheathing on each bulb. “Reticulated” comes from the same root as the word “reticule,” which takes us back to the nineteenth century, when women carried net or drawstring reticules to contain life’s little necessities. Reticules have gone the way of all things, but reticulated iris are both more chic and more relevant now than ever.
‘Katherine Hodgkin’ is the love child of two relatively rare iris, both native to Asia Minor. The pollen came from Iris winogradowii, a pale yellow species that grows about eight inches tall. The “mother” plant was another small species, Iris histriodes, which, according to Hortus, features falls that are “long, bright blue-purple, with white central blotch and yellow ridge” and “violet-blue” standards. Sometimes ‘Katherine Hodgkin’ is also classified as a histrioides variety.
According to an excellent 2008 article by author John Hoyland in the English Telegraph newspaper, the breeder, E.B. Anderson, stored the winogradowii pollen in a jam jar until the histrioides variety flowered. Not romantic, but it got the job done. When the offspring of this cross flowered, Anderson knew he had a winner and named it after the wife of a friend and fellow plantsman, Eliot Hodgkin. Anderson passed bulbs along to fellow dwarf iris enthusiasts and ‘Katherine’s fame gradually spread. These days the plants are available from specialty bulb vendors starting in late spring and running through early fall. They are relatively inexpensive, which is a good thing, because once you have experienced ‘Katherine Hodgkin’s charms, you will want to plant the bulb in drifts.
There are other wonderful dwarf iris that would make fine companions for ‘Katherine.’ One is the darker blue ‘Lady Beatrix Stanley’, also orchid-like in appearance, with falls marked in yellow and white. Another is the lovely white-flowered ‘Finola’, which features pale blue stripes and soft golden green blotches on the falls. If you can get it to flower at the same time, Iris bucharica is a good contrast, with white standards and golden yellow falls. Bucharica has the added advantage of multiple flowers on each plant, which increases the overall joy of such iris varieties. Many of the reticulated and dwarf varieties are also fragrant, but because of their size you have to plant them in large drifts or pick them to enjoy the fragrance.
Dwarf narcissus also make excellent companions for ‘Katherine’ and her crew of small iris. They should all grow in situations where they will not get lost. Rock gardens make good sites, as do troughs or other containers. The little iris will also do well in the fronts of conventional beds and borders.
Sunshine and well-drained soil are a necessity, though the plants will also be fine if they are installed under deciduous trees or shrubs. These larger plants cooperate by not leafing out until the iris have put on their annual show. Thereafter the trees or shrubs take up most of the moisture in the soil, leaving the iris—whose flowers and foliage disappear by spring’s end–in the kind of dry summer situation that they relish.
Spring enchantment, in the form of ‘Katherine Hodgkin’, is so easy and cheap that you would think more people would indulge. You can order starting now for fall delivery. One of the best sources for the little iris is Brent and Becky’s Bulbs, 7900 Daffodil Lane Gloucester, VA 23061, (877) 661-2852, www.brentandbeckysbulbs.com. Free catalog.