Japanese Iris, Iris ensata " Light at Dawn"

Mid Season / Late Japanese Iris.

Iris ensata
" Light at Dawn "

Another stunning Japanese iris from the garden of Walter Marx.




This is a 6 petal creation which stands out in a proud bunch. It grows well in the Otara Birch Gardens making it's own statement when flowering in my garden display.This iris produces shorter stems of large beautiful flowers in mid to late season.

The 6 petal white flowers have a neat narrow border of blue. The outer areas stippled in blue / violet. Nice clean white styles with a touch of wood violet at the tips of the petals.


The flowers look very beautiful in a garden display with its striking presentation which smiles and radiates in the soft evening light.

I enjoy picking this variety to put in a solid vase to admire on my lounge table.

This plant grows really well for me with lots of beautiful clean foliage with stems held proudly above the upright arching foliage. It produces an abundance of flowering stems on a well formed stunning clump in late December.


It grows to a height of 79 cms (32 ins) and flowers mid to late season in New Zealand, while flowering in the late season else where in the world.





Another beautiful variety created by Walter Marx. This selected seedling 56-153, being registered and introduced in 1957.





Available in New Zealand and around the world.

Iris ensata "Silverband"

Early / Mid Season Japanese Iris.

Iris ensata " SILVERBAND "

A stunning variegated sport of Iris ensata spontanea. A very hardy iris that grows well in a garden. It can withstand a dry shady position but does better in a moist soil area in full sun.This iris produces variegated stems of small sized beautiful flowers which sit just above the foliage in early to mid season. Rich 3 petal dark purple flowers with a small bright yellow eye on the falls that stands out on the silver white and cream on green/ grayish green striking foliage. In a garden display, when planted on mass, is spectacular. It has a smaller flower size very similar to the I. ensata species with a delicate flower presentation.

This very hardy plant grows really well for me with lots of beautiful clean variegated upright foliage. It produces a heavy amount of flowering stems on a well formed stunning clump. Mainly prized for it's stunning variegated foliage. Unlike many variegated plants that revert to green in the heat of summer I. ensata "Silverband" retains its variegation throughout the entire season.

This variety was imported from Japan by Arthur Hazzard being a variegated sport of I. ensata spontanea. Synonym was I. ensata 'variegata' being registered as I. ensata "Silverband" by Robert Bauer & John Coble in 1989. It was introduced by Ensata Gardens, Michigan in 1989. The very attractive foliage on this Japanese iris won the plant an Honorable Mention Award in 1992.

It grows to a height of 90 cms (35 ins) and flowers mid season in New Zealand, while flowering in the mid to late season else where in the world. The plant does not appear to set seed readily, flowers are possibly sterile, or the plants will not come true from seed. Propagation is from division of rhizomes after flowering or in the springtime as new shoots emerge.

Available in New Zealand and around the world.

Windless Wednesday

Oh my Lotus.
My beautiful Lotus flower reaches tall to the heavens to present itself outside my bedroom window.

For 4 to 5 days from tight perfect bud to full bloom it opens in the morning sun and closed as darkness creeps in. So beautiful but such a short time in it's flowering.













I grow it in mud in a 4 foot diameter concrete water tough positioned in full sun. I cover it over winter to protect from the frost.
Each year it rewards me with up to 15 blooms and loves heaps of fertilizer to grow tall and proud.