Blue and white striped irises are especially lovely, their colour accentuated by a blue pot. I would have guessed these are ‘Katharine Hodgkin’, but they lack the characteristic yellow that suffuses the lip of the lower petals. In compensation, the tips of the crest-like upper petals have artistic streaks of delft blue.
Here is the real ‘Katharine Hodgkin’, elegant and refined against a backdrop of fallen leaves.
The petals of Iris reticulata become flimsy and translucent as they gradually wither away. I usually try to photograph them when the flowers are still sturdy and fresh, but couldn’t resist sharing this yellow cultivar, photographed at Bodnant Garden a few weeks ago:
Iris reticulata ‘North Star’ still had an ethereal beauty, despite the bedraggled petals, after successive bouts of cold winter rain. It reminded me of the Wicked Witch of the West’s response to being splashed by water – “I’m melting, I’m melting!”.
Being cold, damp and bedraggled myself at the time, it was easy to sympathise with the flower.
Susan Rushton 
Iris Reticulata are really beautiful, artistic flowers!
I agree – irises are well named after the rainbow.
The translucent photo is absolutely lovely. So glad you shared it. Miss seeing you at the David Austin booths, and hope you are having a beautiful life.
Thank you! I miss being on the booths too, especially at Chelsea and the GWA, but then how could you not? I hope everything’s going well for you too.
These are lovely…not seen them before.
If their stature is only small, they make up for it by being some of the showiest winter flowers.
I think the first one is Iris reticulata ‘Eye Catcher’. It’s gorgeous. There are some stunning new hybrids about this year.
It does look very much like it. Thanks for that!
I know little to nothing about irises and I don’t think I’ve had the opportunity to photograph any in the past few of years so I really enjoyed this post.
I’m glad you liked it.
Beautiful pictures of a beautiful flower.Nicely done.
Thank you – I appreciate your kind words.
I KNEW there was a reason you take such beautiful photos. You sympathize with plants!
I do!
These are early birds! I like the delft blue on the first bunch. I have planted some this year, but already forgotten what variety!
I’ll be watching out for the pictures – no pressure!
I planted some ‘Katharine Hodgkin’ this past fall – looking forward to it!
She’s a beauty and seems to be the one I see grown most often by people who ought to know their plants.
Perfect analogy! A very beautiful Iris.
I suppose all winter plants have to be more wind and rain resistant than they perhaps look to grow in our neck of the woods.
These seem to be popular everywhere but here, like snowdrops. I have not grown them yet. I just see them in catalogues.
They stand out in winter gardens here by bringing a pop of colour when a lot of other plants are dormant.
Those Irises are incredible! Iris is my favorite flower. So many colors & combinations of colors.
Well named after the rainbow!