Check It Out: ‘Bearded Irises’ a herald of spring

For me, irises represent two things: the arrival of spring and happy childhood memories.

The spring part probably rings true for many of you — who would probably also include daffodils, crocuses and tulips as the floral heralds of springtime — but I wonder if the iris produces the same kind of nostalgic tug for others as it does for me. My grandmother’s Nebraska yard always had irises (amazing peonies, too, I’d like to add), which I remember mostly for their luscious colors, velvety soft, ruffled petals and that subtle but oh-so-lovely scent. Their sway over me is so strong that I’ve often had this thought: Sure, roses are beautiful, fragrant — real flower powerhouses — but give me an iris over a rose any day.

My mom continued the tradition of growing irises, and it is those plants that I remember the most from my childhood. I always thought they looked rather drab as they emerged from the dirt — a group of long, plain leaves, not even dressed in a very pretty green — but then the magic happened. I would spy a lump forming within the leaves, reminiscent of a little flower baby, then a short time later the baby would bust out in all its beauty.

I’m a little worried I’m sounding overly gushy about a flower, so let me move on to the book at hand.

Kelly Norris’ “A Guide to Bearded Irises” has something for everyone who likes, loves or is over-the-moon about irises.

Having early memories of my grandmother’s irises in Nebraska, I was more than tickled to learn that Norris grew up in Nebraska and first caught the iris bug at the age of 12 from a well-known irisarian living in Wisner, Neb. In case you haven’t heard the term irisarian before, Norris explains that this is “the proper terminology for someone crazier about irises than a normal person.”

Hey, there are definitely worse things to be called.

Open the pages of this week’s book, and you will be confronted with a plethora of iris-centric wisdom. This is probably a good time for me to point out, in case you hadn’t noticed yet, that this book is about bearded irises — arguably the most popular of iris species — but not the only one. I had no idea so much color and size variation existed within the bearded iris world, let alone so much history and drama.

Granted, iris drama, at first glance, may not appear to be very, well, dramatic. But the manipulation of diploid and tetraploid irises, referring to pairs of chromosomes, has stirred the blood of many an irisarian. OK, perhaps I’m being a bit facetious about the drama aspect, but if the historical development of a plant species interests you at all, give the evolution of the iris a try.

Of course, “A Guide to Bearded Irises” is full of gorgeous photographs, which taken as a whole exemplify the meaning of the word “iris.” Did you know that the word iris comes from the Greek deity, Iris, who personified the rainbow? So, all of that high Technicolor occurring within the Iridaceae family makes perfect sense.

Whether you want to know about tall bearded irises, miniature tall bearded irises or miniature dwarf bearded irises, among other bearded varieties, Norris knows a rhizome or two about these enchanting plants.

This means you’re certain to come away with an irisful of information. If instead, you thought a bearded iris referred to your long-lost cousin, Iris, twice removed and exceedingly hirsute, you may or may not want to check out this week’s title (just a little iris humor to start your day right).