Many of us have collections; stamps, books, ornaments, plants… It seems very comforting to us to have something to care about and be proud of. Collections take up our time, we add to them and we take great pride showing them to family and friends, even if they think we are a bit eccentric or just plain weird. But collections, no matter what they consist of are part of who we are, and the true gift behind any collection is the collector’s passion, knowledge and pride. And that’s what makes others begin to appreciate them (and keep them in the attic way after the collector has passed!).
Marwood Hill Gardens has 4 National Collections, 3 of which are held in high regard; Astilbes, Tulbaghias and the collection of Marwood plants! The fourth, the Iris Ensata, is currently on hold, pending reinstatement. This was partly due to the ambiguity of the collection – does it contain all Iris Ensata, including the many hundreds of hybrids available from the USA? Or does it focus on the ancient, rarer Japanese forms? And also, who was to be the curator? A collection needs a custodian, someone to care for it and present it in a way that is interesting and captivating to others. So, who better than someone who, just a year ago, knew nothing about Iris Ensata, and to be honest, has no interest whatsoever in Iris, as a genus! Well, why not I thought, I can do that. If nothing else, I find Japanese culture fascinating and there is no doubt, Iris Ensata flowers are beautiful.
The collection at Marwood began in the late 1900’s and contained over 100 different cultivars. Grown in purpose build troughs enabling good control of water and feeding, the Iris were a spectacle to behold. But since they were moved into the main garden, the collection has struggled to find a place. Several sites have been attempted but soon proved to be inappropriate for many reasons… trees crowding out sunlight and sapping moisture levels, to highly competitive planting schemes simply swamping the Iris which became lost in a mass of other flora. The specific planting requirements for these ‘water Iris’ were proving tricky to find – full sun, boggy, rich soil close to paths from which they could be enjoyed.
So last Autumn I set about the project after a meeting with the rest of the team in which it was sadly mentioned ‘we are not proud of that collection’. We will be! With a bit of hard work, we will be! It was in no doubt that the area at the top of the upper lake by the bridge had become overgrown and overplanted. The Iris were lost, and so much so, that nobody could give me a definitive answer to “how many varieties do we actually have?” for many had been lost over time. After meticulously searching through the area, I had 22 different cultivars marked up for extraction. But before they could be lifted, the new site needed to be prepared. Luckily the new site was simply opposite their current location but would take the Iris into the limelight, at full lakeside and prime placement. I could already visualize them in full bloom with the gorgeous backdrop of the water behind them. But, and it’s never simple, the site was full of nettle, dock, hogweed and Dalmera peltata which all needed to be excavated first! We then brought in many trailer loads of fresh compost and stabilized the boggy site with many logs, which would provide anchors for the plants as they rooted. We also built a small log dam to raise the soil level on the opposite side of the bridge for extra planting in an area of the lake which previously looked quite unsightly. The final task was to build a retaining wall on the first bank and back fill with compost – this would be a great area to plant numerous Ensata unknown seedlings which were desperate for planting out. The site and new home for Marwood’s Iris Ensata collection was finally ready.
As the collection began to be transplanted from one side of the path to the other it was great to see all of the Japanese names on the plant labels finally visually prominent by the path. Visitors would now know they were encountering a collection. Names such as ‘Hokkaido’ and ‘Chiyo-no-haru’, ‘Gei-sho-mi’ and ‘Hoshi-akari’ were right there for all too see and say “ah, here’s the Iris collection which was previously lost among flowering Rodgersia sp. and Salix ‘Mount Aso’ and outcompeted by a rowdy Blechnum fern carpet”.
There was no doubt in my mind that the Iris were to be the stars of the new site, but what else would work in there to fill the gaps, and to add seasonal interest? Did it need something else? Afterall the Astilbes did just fine of their own, and the Tulbaghia’s were only accompanied by a few Ipheion sp. in Spring. Some primula hybrids already established were left in situ and a few hostas were added for good measure. Other than that, the Iris will work hard in late Spring and then the leafy swords will remain cementing the collections presence. This new location also allows for easy feeding. Iris Ensata are heavy feeders, where before it was difficult. We will also be able to collect seed as we can walk among the plants. But, and most importantly, the Iris have space, space to spread and thrive, which will hopefully lead to a presence of Iris Ensata’ s ‘ancient Japanese forms’ in our plant sales nursery in future years! And who knows, maybe this collection could become the anchor for a new Japanese Garden…..
Full list of cultivars in collection:
• Taiheiraku
• Rose Queen
• Chiyo-no-haru
• Gei-sho-mi
• Hoshi-akari
• Variegata
• Hokkaido
• Momogasumi
• Kumi-Funjin
• Yako-no-tami
• Gracieuse
• Ranpo
• Kumo-no-obi
• Tensyukaku
• Kozasa-gawa
• Dainagon
• Himatsuri
• Michinoku-kogare
• Kogesho
• Okagami
• Rakka-no-utage
• Jazerni Princesza
