we have patches of blue flag iris along our dock. early in the season, they look very much like blades of marsh grass and the new shoots of cattails. so when we clear the brush along our dock each spring, there are maybe a dozen shaggy patches of vegetation that we leave untrimmed, because we suspect, but aren’t quite sure, that clumps of irises might reside inside them. about half of them will eventually unfurl their three-fingered lavender fists, and we spend the week after that making daily pilgrimages to glory in the sight.

pressed northern wild blue flag iris

turtle lake, saint paul, minnesota