On Saturday, May 5th, I spent the day in the Vacaville area on the Pleasant Valley Iris Farm. There are over 200 varieties of irises planted in raises beds and most of them are blooming. The word, iris, means rainbow in Greek. You can find almost every color except red and according to the owner of the farm, the horticulturists are working on that. As you walk through the farm, you read the names and comment on the vibrant colors and flowering stalks. I was also curious, so I came home and did a little research. The iris is a perennial herb that grows from a rhizome or bulb. There are two types: bearded and beardless. Surprise! I have both growing in my garden. The bearded iris has wide fan shaped leaves and a raised fuzzy caterpillar-like area on each leaf. The beardless iris has more foliage and they need more water when they are first planted. Irises grow almost everywhere even the far north. Yellow irises are used for water purification. The rhizomes of the German and Sweet iris trade as orris root and are used for perfume and medicines. They are also used to make Bombay Sapphire and Magellan Gin. My family has lived in Belgium since before the fourth century. There is a DePrez family farm that has had continuous ownership since 430, so the fact that the Brussel's flag has an iris on it is of particular interest.
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