One morning as I was getting through my first cup of coffee I stumbled upon a magical series on Instagram called Art in Isolation, @philip_mould_gallery. London gallery owner Philip Mould walks viewers virtually around his charming English country house and garden as well as sharing his insight into a few of his personal paintings hanging in his delightful barn. A recent edition focused on Cedric Morris who combined the two things he loved most in life, plants and painting. Upon seeing his flower paintings you unquestionably feel the authentic and sincere love of his subject, flowers. But of all the flowers he loved Iris stole his heart.

Art and gardening came together in an old farmhouse in the 1950s in Suffolk, England.  “A paradise of pollen and paint” ( as the writer Ronald Blythe put it so beautifully) Benton End was both home to Cedric Morris and to his bohemian art school where the only rule was there were no rules. Cedric was an artist and avid plantsman who  surrounded himself with fashionable bohemians, energetic infidelities, the very best food and wine and LOTS of IRIS !

Morris bred and named 90 of his favorite iris plants after lovers, friends and dearest cats (Baggage, Menace and Duff to name a few).

He painted mixing primitive techniques with sophistication and amid the gaudy color and soft pinks and blues there is a clear confidence and lovely lack of hesitancy In his work. His paintings are hugely popular today and highly sought after in the art world.

So… I like many have fallen in love with Cedrics work; his flower paintings and with the Iris.

My absolute favorite are the bearded iris with their magnificent colors and variety of patterns. The beard is actually a patch of soft bristles on the lower petals of the flower. Iris are easy grow and give SO much pleasure. And I adore the names!

Pinking of You is a fabulous pink iris with a shrimp colored beard whose parent is another fabulous  pink iris called I Pink I Can. Damsel in A Dress floats in the garden with its contrasting colors of violet and white like a gentle parachute.  Another of my favorites is Splatter Matters who’s appearance reminds me of an abstract expressionist painting.  If you love the dark side Senor Jinx , named after a favorite feline in the garden, is deeply seductive. It is  coal black and inherited its color from it’s illustrious parent, Here Comes the Night. These are all for sale by mail order at Shrinersgardens.com out of Salem, Oregon.

1. Plant your iris in a sunny spot in late summer in well drained soil. The RHIZOMES, the fleshy rootlike structure at the base of the plant) do not want to be fully buried so plant them high in the soil. Remember, they want to be fairly dry.
2. After these beauties have bloomed in late spring remove the pods that have formed. Prune  back the foliage in the fall as this reduces the chance of pests and disease in the winter.
3. About every 3 or 4 years the original rhizome dies which can slow new blooms. This is when you need to DIVIDE the plants. Time is late summer. it is so exciting as you get all sorts of new babies out of your original investment. You will have even more beauty the next year and these rhizomes make wonderful gifts! To divide: dig up the plant, break apart rhizomes by pulling them apart. Wash each rhizome with a light water/ bleach mixture to protect against disease and cut off the leaf blades to about 5 inches long. This gives the plant energy to concentrate on regrowing the new roots instead of maintaining long leaves.
4. Replant your new babies nice and high ( a bit of the top surface of the rhizome should be visible at the soil surface ) and water well. Remember though after that, they generally like to be kept fairly dry ; do not over water.

If you can’t get your hands on a Cedric Morris painting growing his favorite flower is the next best thing!

XO, Dundee