“Richard Of York Gave Battle In Vain” – remember that? Perhaps you’re too young, but your parents will remember it. It’s a mnemonic device, a neat way of remembering the colours of the rainbow. The initial letters of each word in the phrase are the initial letters of the rainbow colours, in the right order – red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, violet.
So why are we harking back to our days in primary school? Because tall bearded irises are not only the most flamboyant perennials we can grow, but they’re also rare among plants in being available in every single rainbow colour, not to mention myriad colour combinations, including black! The other great thing about them is that although they’re dazzlingly colourful, they’re never crude or garish – they…
