Tiny early iris heralds spring

In our Surrey garden, a tiny miniature iris braves the cold rain to signal the approach of spring. Iris was the Greek goddess of the rainbow. She acted as a messenger between earth and heaven.

The iris is found all over the world, and has been represented in art as far back as ancient Egypt. The iris is also associated with royalty (purple) and passion (yellow).

These lovely little gems can be grown in containers indoors, and they bloom early in the garden -- as early as February in Zones 8 and 9, as mine demonstrated, even though February was a chilly month.

Some say the famous French fleur-de-lys is neither a lily nor a lotus, but a stylized iris. The version below is depicted by Henny Donovan.