The iris is a plant inseparable from water in the landscape. For many of us, its image was cast by Monet in his paintings of the garden at Giverny, a celebration of the unique dialogue between plants and water. Iris was the Greek goddess of the rainbow, perhaps an allusion to the diversity of colour in the genus.

The iris has been noted and used by herbalists and horticulturists, and has featured prominently in art and iconography through recorded history. The image of the fleur-de-lis, meaning 'the flower of the lily', is drawn from the flower of the common yellow flag iris, I. pseudacorus, one of the species valuable for marginal planting. Construed as 'fleur-de-lys', suggesting 'flower of Louis', the symbol was used on the French royal standard until Napoleon banned the image with the Revolution. The name was later anglicised to 'flower-de-luce', until the present name gained acceptance in the eighteenth century. Irises are depicted among roses, poppies, peonies and other purely aesthetic garden plants in delightful early Persian miniature paintings of garden scenes and have appeared widely in the art of the ancient civilisations and empires of China and India.

 Granite Grove iris has an amazing variety of beautiful irises, and are open during the flowering season

Bookings are necessary off season

1568 Barraba Road Bundarra NSW phone 67252477