I just popped out to place a new bird feeder (more about this later) in the back garden when I noticed that this gorgeous Iris unguicularis ‘Mary Barnard’ has started to flower. I bought this plant last February at the RHS early spring show (this year’s show is Fri 21st and Sat 22nd Feb) and am very pleased to see it bloom so early as Hellebores and snowdrops are yet to flower (although my Eriobotrya is still in bloom).
Mary Barnard reaches about 10 inches (25cm) tall, so I had to carefully get down on hands and knees to see if I could detect a scent. It’s a small and gentle perfume, but it’s definitely there (and possibly more on a sunnier day?). This Iris hasn’t taken long to start to clump up and looks like there’s quite a few more blooms to follow, so I’m quietly delighted!
Meanwhile, other antics in the garden are not quite so pleasing. Here’s a furry beast gorging itself from a squirrel-proof bird feeder,
and back again with the more relaxed one-legged approach. Although more than a tad annoyed that yet another attempt to feed the birds has been hijacked by this irritating pest, my fury is also laced with a sneaking admiration for such confident and agile acrobatics.
Still, an air rifle would come in handy every now and then! I hear they make a nice pie.
Where did you get the feeder? I am sure that if it were out on a longer branch further from the ‘trunk’ it would defeat the squirrels. But even then, the real problem is that these feeders only really suit acrobatic birds like tits.
Robins hesitate to stand on a swinging surface and blackbirds wouldn’t even try.
I wish someone could invent a squirrel proof feeder for birds that need a flat surface to feed. Old style bird tables suited them well before the days of the squirrels.
I have been told that birds can’t taste chili and that squirrels can so food should be missed with chili powder. Has anyone tried this?
Hi Gill, You’re right. Robins have struggled to use this feeder so I lifted the dome a bit (and they did feed a little more), but now the squirrels can get in, but Great Tits are still happy to pop in and out. I do have other long, thin feeders that squirrels can’t access, but did like the look of this feeder….Might get some chilli out there tomorrow to see if that works. Have given up on flat feeders as both squirrels and pigeons gobble everything up!
Lovely iris and so sweet of it to be blooming in January. And darned squirrels who in my garden are raking up pots of bulbs whilst looking for their stored walnuts.
Hi Sue, Have seen loads of bulbs strewn around the garden and just try and pop them back in when I notice them. GRrr….Lovely Iris indeed!
The iris looks gorgeous. I think I know it and have thought about it. Do you think it would have a chance in a shady London garden with our clay soil, with grit added? Or would it be better to have it in a pot and if so would it clump up if the pot were large enough? The post said no snowdrops or hellebores yet in the lady’s garden. Our snowdrops aren’t showing yet but nearly all our hellebores have buds about to open both north and south facing ones. We have been meticulous this year and in December about cutting off leaves blocking light. We only did this spasmodically last year and had a slightly diminished show so I think it’s worth doing though not vital.
Susan Lynn
Hi Susan, I think this Iris does need sun and a poor, well drained soil, so it may well struggle in clay in the shade. Can’t see why it would be happy in a pot with plenty of grit (in a sunny position) though. Available from Avon Bulbs….
Your Iris is the first real bloom of the new season that I have seen , and how welcome it is ! I must plant some for next year, as I hadn’t realised how early they are. Truly heartwarming !
Hi Jane, It’s the first year since I bought them, so not sure if this Iris is flowering a little early because it’s so mild or if it will always flower so early. Very welcome Jan blooms though, whatever the reason!
fabulous iris….not so fabulous squirrel..have been having squirrel conversations with quite a lot of my family and friends lately…
I fear they may be digging up half the garden at the moment too. Love/ hate relationship continues….
Squirrels are the bane of my life. The only deeded that defeats them is one with a heavy wire grill all the way round. My country cousin does indeed shoot and eat the, they are best stewed. The fur, especially the tails is useful for trout flies.
Squirrels also dig up my bulbs and discard them, eat the eggs in the few nests in the garden and behave like juvenile delinquents.
They can be quite cute though….especially when seen through a telescopic sight….
Squirrel stew sounds good! but Ido marvel at their ingenuity too. I do wonder how birds manage to reproduce in this neighbourhood, as there are so many squirrels. Must buy more nest boxes…
Try a catapult loaded with small ball-bearings instead; it won’t worry the neighbours as much as any kind of gun and is apparently very effective at deterring pests. A friend swears by it for scaring off noisy pigeons!
There’s an idea…..Thanks Diana
A beautiful fragile looking winter flower Naomi but its appearance belies its sturdy constitution. My irises have still to show a sliver of colour but won’t be long now 🙂 We’ve just had to perform some life saving surgery on our squirrel proof bird feeder. Can’t really complain because it’s taken them about 20 years to nibble through to nibble.
Hi Anna, your feeder sounds like a sturdy thing and well worth the trouble to repair. Still on the hunt for the ultimate squirrel and pigeon proof feeder. Looks like I’ll have a cluster of these delicate looking flowers soon-really cheery at this time of year:)
It will be interesting to see if the irises are out in the Capel gardens when I go back this coming Thursday, Naomi. They really light up a garden in the spring! Lovely that yours is slowly spreading. Same story here with the narcissus that I bought from the Garden Museum on Potato Day last year. (They were wrapped in newspaper on the counter.) There are far more popping up than I remember planting – what a bargain! I haven’t seen squirrels here, perhaps the foxes have eaten them all … 🙂
Hi Caro, I’m sure they’ll be loads to see at Capel Manor this time of year, and what a treat to be studying there.
I have some last minute daffodil planting going ahead this week and am really interested to see when the bulbs will eventually flower this year!………Narcissi are such a cheery spring sight, whenever they appear (hopefully!).
Hi You need to move the feeder it needs to be on a longer chain so the Squirrel can not reach it from the supporting branch. They drive me insane also but you have to admire their ingenuity. Thanks for sharing.
Longer chain-wil do, but if I make it too low they leap from the ground-persistent little devils!
Hi Naomi, Can’t believe you have an iris in full bloom in January even down South. It is beautiful and have put it on my wish list. I have a sunny South facing border next to the house with poor well drained soil – only problem is it is rather windy. Do you think it would be worth trying there?
Good squirrel photos. We have a resident squirrel too and enjoy watching the acrobatics as the squirrel steals the peanuts. I wouldn’t mind so much if he ate the nuts but instead he just runs all over our garden burying them – I am sure never to be found again. It is a good job they don’t grow here!
Hi Annette, Had a quick peek on the Avon Bulbs website and it does say plant Iris unguicularis in a very sheltered spot, so not sure if a rather windy border would be ideal. Soil sounds perfect though. Might be worth contacting Avon Bulbs?
Mmm doesn’t sound right for my windy border then – I will find somewhere else more sheltered.
Thanks for info.