Horticulture in Ornament | Gilding, Decorative Painting, Fresco

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The Cradle of the Renaissance
Florence, Italy

FRESCO  
PAINTED ON THE CEILING VAULT.
Breakfast room overlooking the arno river 

HOTEL Consigli, FLORENCE, ITALY  

Most of our trip through Europe was planned but we found this beautiful hotel by chance. We could not have been luckier to land at this historic, charming, and authentic, Hotel Consigli in Florence. The bedroom was the size of four. Windows were three layers of shutters with no glass. The windows opened upon the Arno River and looked over a beautiful bridge. The vaulted ceilings  were so authentically Italian one could imagine Leonardo climbing scaffolding to instructing art students in painting techniques employed to glorify God at the time of the Renaissance. 

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Stylized images from nature were employed during the birth of the Renaissance period. Painters used techniques to ornament beautiful architectural pieces and bring the Glory of God into the churches and cathedrals. Stories are told in a visual sense and embolden with color and art for the appreciation of all.

    A fresco with trompe l'oeil painted ON THE ceiling vault. 

Hotel Consigli, Florence, Italy          

Waking to the sound of the Vespas hurrying to the many artisan shops, Museums and architectural heritage sites visited by the many world travelers, the native Florenians encourage us to find treasures to return with. After breakfast in an adjacent room with the beautiful frescos we ventured out walking to the city that so closely affiliated with the Medici family. The first day we found stylish soft leather shoes to continue our walks and our appreciation of the architecture surrounding the Duomo. Enjoying the customs and local culture we had to shop the gold jewelry shops on the Medici bridge, Ponte Vecchio and find a Gelato shop to cool down on this rather warm day.

The symbolism is replicated throughout the city. Everywhere, the Giglio of Florence is seen in stone, textiles, and tattoos. The Florentine lily is not a lily but a stylized iris, Iris florentina.

The Giglio of Florence

 The Florentine lily is not a lily, 

but a stylized iris.

Painted illustration of Iris florentina
 by Sydenham Edwards for Curtis's Botanical Magazine in 1803

The language of flowers and The Gramar of Ornament are two of the best books to understand artisans and symbolism used to evolve from the dark ages to the time of the Renaissance when discussion of science could lead to treacherous situations.

Botanical Art  Resources Tongiorgi, Tomasi L, and Gretchen A. Hirschauer. The Flowering of Florence: Botanical Art for the Medici. Washington, D.C: National Gallery of Art, 2002. Prin Jones, Owen. The Grammar of Ornament. New York: Van Nostrand Reinhold Co, 1972. Print. https://www.italian-frescos.com/

 ~ Grassroots Horticulture ~

2022

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FAMILY | IRIDACEAE

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Gardening | Plant ID

THe iris family

iris                                                   

Bulb Irises            

To better understand iris I have separated them into the irises having a bulbous rooting system and those having rhizomes. 

_Firstly, the bulb irises include English (I. latifolia), Spanish (I. xiphium), and Dutch (I. hollandica) irises; along with the dwarf (Iris reticulate) and Juno irises.

Dwarf iris (Iris reticulata)                                        

Dwarf iris Iris reticulata

Dwarf iris Iris reticulata

Dutch Iris (Iris hollandica)                               

Dutch Iris (Iris hollandica) 

			TAXON				ORIGIN
Order	Family	Sub family	Taxon Full Name	Vernacular Name	Intraspecific Epithet	Cultivar	Country of Origin	Cultivated Origin
Asparagales	Iridaceae	Xiphium (bulb)	Iris xiphium	Spanish iris			Corsica, South WestFrance, southern Italy, Algeria and Tunisia
Asparagales	Iridaceae	Xiphium (bulb)	Iris latifolia (I. xiphiodes and I. anglica)	English			Pyrenees of Southwestern France and Northwestern Spain
Asparagales	Iridaceae	Xiphium (bulb)	Iris hollandica	Dutch	Iris xiphium (var. praecox) x Iris tingitanan (N. Africa)			Holland
Asparagales	Iridaceae	Xiphium (bulb)	Iris hollandica	Dutch	Iris xiphium (var. lusitanica (Portugese)) x Iris tingitanan (N. Africa)			Holland
Asparagales	Iridaceae	Xiphium (bulb)	Iris hollandica	Dutch	Iris xiphium (var. lusitanica (Portugese)) x Iris tingitanan (N. Africa)	Imperator' (dark blue)		Holland
Asparagales	Iridaceae	Xiphium (bulb)	Iris hollandica	Dutch	Iris xiphium (var. lusitanica (Portugese)) x Iris tingitanan (N. Africa)	Wedgwood' (light blue)		Holland
Asparagales	Iridaceae	Xiphium (bulb)	Iris hollandica	Dutch	Iris xiphium (var. lusitanica (Portugese)) x Iris tingitanan (N. Africa)	White Excelsior' (short white)		Holland
Asparagales	Iridaceae	Xiphium (bulb)	Iris hollandica	Dutch	Iris xiphium (var. lusitanica (Portugese)) x Iris tingitanan (N. Africa)	Yellow Queen' (light yellow)		Holland
Asparagales	Iridaceae	Hermodactyloides (bulb)	Iris reticulate	dwarf			Russia, the Caucasus, and northern Iran
Asparagales	Iridaceae	(bulb)	Iris subg. Scorpiris	Juno iris

     

 

Rhizome Irises        

The irises with a rhizome root system are the bearded, beardless, and crested irises.

Dwarf Bearded Iris (Iris pumila)                               

Dwarf Bearded Iris 'Buddha's Song' (Iris pumila)

Tall Bearded Iris                                         

                                                                                                                                                      

              

Iris germanica 'Baltic Night'

Iris 'Grain Exchange'

Iris 'Cranberry'

Iris ' Fringe Benefits'

Iris 'Change of Pace'

Yellow Iris, Similar to "Honorabile" (Lemon, 1840)

Yellow self, with  red veining on falls and yellow beards.

Similar to Tall Bearded Iris

'Horns of Plenty' (Rowlan, 1986)

Hyacinth blue self, yellow to hyacinth blue beards 

with long blue horns and spoons

Iris Germanica

Prof. Dr. Otto Wilhelm Thomé, Flora von Deutschland, Österreich und der Schweiz, 1885, Gera, Germany

Orris root Iris IRIS PALLIDA                                  

 Dalmatian iris or sweet iris (Iris pallida), Orris Root Iris
The variegated cultivar 'Variegata' has gained the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit.

If you have ever made potpourri you will be familiar with this iris. Orris root is used in designer perfumes and has a violet scent. It is cultivated as a garden plant, and commercially for extraction of essential oils from its rhizome (orris root).

The variegated foliage is lovely after the flowers have faded.

Beardless Iris                                                                         

Yellow flag, yellow iris, water flag, Iris pseudacorus, around a pond.

Yellow flag, yellow iris, water flag, Iris pseudacorus.
 Yellow flag is a water loving pond iris.It is native to Europe, western Asia and northwest Africa

Iris pseudacorus

Prof. Dr. Otto Wilhelm Thomé, Flora von Deutschland, Österreich und der Schweiz, 1885, Gera, Germany

Siberian Iris (Iris sibirica)                           

This is the iris favored by many landscapers over the Bearded group. And the reason is obvious. Hardy as oaks, Siberian Irises form very handsome clumps of grass-like foliage with a host of blooms rising on elegantly thin stems. The flowers are smaller than the Bearded Iris blooms, but once they're gone, the foliage of this group remains a highlight in the garden all season long, as decorative as almost any ornamental grass. Siberian Iris' hardiness and longevity are also big plusses. Once established, they will grace a garden for generations. There are fewer hybrids here, compared to the Bearded group, but there are now some quite glamorous bi- and tri-colors. Still, purist gardeners usually prefer the classic blue, purple and yellow flowers from this elegant group. They can be planted in spring or fall.

Iris sibirica 'Caesar's Brother'   Morgan Award winner (1953)

Iris sibirica 'Caesar's Brother' produces deep purple flowers in late spring on rigid stems which rise to 40" high above a clump of arching, narrow, grass-like, linear leaves.

Iris sibirica 'White Swirl'

 

CROCUS                                         

Bibliography for Irises

Alphabetical Iris Check List. Baltimore: The Society, 1929. Print.

Austin, Claire. Irises: A Gardener's Encyclopedia. Portland, Or: Timber Press, 2005. Print.

Austin, Claire, and Clay Perry. Iris: The Classic Bearded Varieties. London: Quadrille, 2004. Print.

Basic Iris Culture: Or, "what Every Iris Grower Should Know.". Purcellville, Va: American Iris Society, 2000. Print.

Berry, Susan. Irises: A Romantic History with a Guide to Cultivation. Philadelphia, Pa: Running Press, 1992. Print.

Blackadder, Elizabeth, and Deborah Kellaway. Irises and Other Flowers. New York: H.N. Abrams, 1995. Art; Print.

Cohen, Victor A. A Guide to the Pacific Coast Irises. Watford [Herts.: British Iris Society, 1968. Print.

Dykes, William R, Isaac B. Balfour, and R E. Waltham. Irises. , 1912. Print.

Glasgow, Karen. Irises: A Practical Gardening Guide. , 1997. Print.

Guide to Species Irises: Their Identification and Cultivation. Cambridge: Cambridge univ Press, 2011. Print.

Hewitt, Jennifer. Irises. Great Comberton: Hardy Plant Society, 2003. Print.

Irises. Salem, OR: Keith Keppel Irises, 1900. Catalog; Print.

Irises. Ingomar, Pa: The Company, 1900. Catalog; Print.

James, Theodore. Iris. New York: Abrams, 2003. Print.

Jeppe, Barbara. Irises. Hatfield, South Africa: Umdaus Press, 1999. Print.

Linnegar, S, and Jennifer Hewitt. Irises. London: Mitchell Beazley, 2008. Print.

McGeorge, Pamela, Alison Nicoll, and Russell McGeorge. Irises. Auckland, N.Z, 2001. Print.

Norris, Kelly D. A Guide to Bearded Irises: Cultivating the Rainbow for Beginners and Enthusiasts. Portland, Or: Timber Press, 2012. Print.

Price, Molly. The Iris Book. New York: Dover Publications, 1973. Print.

Randall, Harry. Irises. London: B.T. Batsford, 1969. Print.

Rockwell, F F. Irises. New York: Macmillan, 1934. Print.

Shear, William A. The Gardener's Iris Book. Newtown, Conn: Taunton Press, 2002. Print.

Stager, Walter. Tall Bearded Iris (fleur-De-Lis) a Flower of Songs: Names, Classification, Structure, Planting, Care, Enemies, Propagation, Hybridism, Shipping, Uses. Sterling, Ill, 1922. republished 2018 Print.

Stebbings, Geoff. Gardener's Guide to Growing Irises. Portland: Timber Press, 2001. Print.

The Iris, an Ideal Hardy Perennial: Written and Published by Members of the American Iris Society. Nashville, Tenn: The Society, 1947. Print.

Vaughn, Kevin C. Beardless Irises - a Plant for Every Garden Situation. , 2015. Print.

Warburton, Bee. The World of Irises. Wichita, Kansas: American Iris Soc, 1978. Print.

What Every Iris Grower Should Know. Place of publication not identified: American Iris Society, 1969. Print.






Societies________________________

America Iris Society
The Society of Siberian Irises

Median Iris Society (MIS)

Society for Pacific Coast Native Irises (SPCNI)

Spuria Iris Society (SIS)

Society for Louisiana Irises (SLI)

Species Iris Group of North America (SIGNA)

Reblooming Iris Society (RIS)

Dwarf Iris Society (DIS)

Aril Society International (ASI)

Sources                                 

https://historiciris.org/resources/historic-iris-marketplace/

Lilianae sensu Chase & Reveal (monocots) 131	Acorales       Alismatales   122            Petrosaviales     120   Dioscoreales 115     Pandanales 91         Liliales 121   121   Asparagales 120   commelinids 118            Dasypogonaceae     Arecales     Poales                Zingiberales     Commelinales

Grassroots Horticulture

2021, updated March 2026

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