{"id":1664,"date":"2023-11-04T11:48:40","date_gmt":"2023-11-04T10:48:40","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.lacollinadelleiris.it\/?page_id=1664"},"modified":"2024-01-20T18:03:45","modified_gmt":"2024-01-20T17:03:45","slug":"about-us","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.lacollinadelleiris.it\/index.php\/about-us\/","title":{"rendered":"How my passion was born"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Hi\u00adsto\u00adry of my iris hill be\u00adgan as fol\u00adlo\u00adws: Sin\u00adce 1995 I ha\u00adve been li\u00adving in a Pied\u00admon\u00adte\u00adse area, which \u2013 in my opi\u00adnion \u2013 is one of the mo\u00adst won\u00adder\u00adful: Mon\u00adfer\u00adra\u00adto.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"My
My iris hill in win\u00adter<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

When I bought my hou\u00adse and I mo\u00adved and li\u00adved in this fa\u00adbu\u00adlous sce\u00adna\u00adrio, I had few ti\u00adme to de\u00advo\u00adte to the sur\u00adroun\u00adding ground, be\u00adcau\u00adse \u2013 in tho\u00adse days \u2013 I was not short of work. I could main\u00adtain the gar\u00adden in front of my ho\u00adme clean and ti\u00addy, but no\u00adthing mo\u00adre. So what ini\u00adtial\u00adly was a well-ten\u00added or\u00adchard sur\u00adroun\u00added by a well-clea\u00adned wood gra\u00addual\u00adly be\u00adca\u00adme a thorn-bush. I was ve\u00adry di\u00adsap\u00adpoin\u00adted by such a ne\u00adglect.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Li\u00adke ma\u00adny beau\u00adti\u00adful things, my iris hill was born from a ne\u00adga\u00adti\u00adve ex\u00adpe\u00adrien\u00adce and even from for\u00adtui\u00adtous cir\u00adcum\u00adstan\u00adces. In 2012 I was for\u00adced to clo\u00adse my trans\u00adla\u00adtion so\u00adle-pro\u00adprie\u00adtor\u00adship be\u00adcau\u00adse of a re\u00adle\u00advant work re\u00adduc\u00adtion, and I had mo\u00adre ti\u00adme avai\u00adla\u00adble. The\u00adre\u00adfo\u00adre I de\u00adci\u00added to bring se\u00adca\u00adteurs, sic\u00adkles and ra\u00adkes, and I be\u00adgan to clear the area sur\u00adroun\u00adding my ho\u00adme.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Picture
In this pho\u00adto, ta\u00adken from Goo\u00adgle Maps, you can see my wood \u201cbe\u00adfo\u00adre treat\u00adment\u201d<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

In 2010 I read in a gar\u00adde\u00adning ma\u00adga\u00adzi\u00adne (Vi\u00adta in cam\u00adpa\u00adgna<\/span><\/a><\/strong>) an ar\u00adti\u00adcle, who spo\u00adke about an in\u00adter\u00adna\u00adtio\u00adnal-le\u00advel hy\u00adbri\u00addi\u00adzer, who li\u00adved few mi\u00adles far from my vil\u00adla\u00adge, i.e. in Ga\u00adbia\u00adno (pro\u00advin\u00adce of Ales\u00adsan\u00addria). It was May, but that year rain was in\u00adces\u00adsant. It was not pos\u00adsi\u00adble to work in the gar\u00adden fi\u00adve mi\u00adnu\u00adtes long wi\u00adthout ha\u00adving to stop to shel\u00adter from the storm. Af\u00adfec\u00adted by a tre\u00admen\u00addous di\u00adscou\u00adra\u00adge\u00adment, I jum\u00adped in my car and, wi\u00adthout any pre\u00adven\u00adti\u00adve pho\u00adne call, I went to look for him. Un\u00adfor\u00adtu\u00adna\u00adte\u00adly I did not found him, but I found the area, which at that ti\u00adme was his \u201cre\u00adpre\u00adsen\u00adta\u00adti\u00adve field\u201d. I shall ne\u00adver for\u00adget that ex\u00adpe\u00adrien\u00adce.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The sky was grey, drizz\u00adle fell in\u00adces\u00adsan\u00adtly, but \u2013 when I got out of my car, and I went near the fen\u00adce to ad\u00admi\u00adre tho\u00adse end\u00adless ro\u00adws of flo\u00adwers, one dif\u00adfe\u00adrent from the other \u2013 I was asto\u00adni\u00adshed, and un\u00adder\u00adstood that a bound\u00adless pas\u00adsion was born in me for tho\u00adse plan\u00adts, cal\u00adled af\u00adter the Greek god\u00addess, per\u00adso\u00adni\u00adfi\u00adca\u00adtion of rain\u00adbow.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Tall
The fir\u00adst va\u00adrie\u00adty I bought from Iri\u00adde,
the tall bear\u00added iris \u2018Be\u00adfo\u00adre the Storm\u2019<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

In Sep\u00adtem\u00adber of the sa\u00adme year, I ul\u00adti\u00adma\u00adte\u00adly suc\u00adcee\u00added in get\u00adting in touch with the crea\u00adtor of ma\u00adny such beau\u00adties: Au\u00adgu\u00adsto Bian\u00adco of the com\u00adpa\u00adny Iri\u00adde<\/span><\/strong><\/a>, and I or\u00adde\u00adred my fir\u00adst iris \u2018Be\u00adfo\u00adre the Storm\u2019. I was loo\u00adking for an al\u00admo\u00adst black iris, and this was the dar\u00adke\u00adst in his ca\u00adta\u00adlo\u00adgue 2010. I bought 5 of them: one for me, one for my mum\u00admy (a great iris lo\u00adver too), and 3 for a spe\u00adcial friend.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ob\u00adviou\u00adsly, on that oc\u00adca\u00adsion, I had no op\u00adpor\u00adtu\u00adni\u00adty to see blos\u00adso\u00adming iris, be\u00adcau\u00adse the sea\u00adson was over long ti\u00adme ago, but Mi\u00adster Bian\u00adco took me to see the other fields, he cul\u00adti\u00adva\u00adted, (thou\u00adsands upon thou\u00adsands of plan\u00adts ar\u00adran\u00adged in neat ro\u00adws, which I al\u00adrea\u00addy ima\u00adgi\u00adned du\u00adring the flo\u00adwe\u00adring sea\u00adson), and we agreed to meet next spring, when co\u00adlours of all that beau\u00adties would ha\u00adve ex\u00adplo\u00added.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So, next year, to\u00adge\u00adther with my mum\u00admy, we ca\u00adme back to tho\u00adse fields, and \u2013 with ma\u00adny dif\u00adfi\u00adcul\u00adties due to una\u00advoi\u00adda\u00adble ex\u00adclu\u00adsions \u2013 we suc\u00adcee\u00added in de\u00adci\u00adding which va\u00adrie\u00adties to or\u00adder. Star\u00adting from 2011 on\u00adwards, we ha\u00adve al\u00adways or\u00adde\u00adred dif\u00adfe\u00adrent va\u00adrie\u00adties, in or\u00adder to be able to ex\u00adchan\u00adge them bet\u00adween us, when they could ha\u00adve been di\u00advi\u00added.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Flowering
Flo\u00adwe\u00adring of spe\u00adcies iri\u00adses<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Next spring, in May, when iri\u00adses from fir\u00adst or\u00adder blos\u00adso\u00admed, I was brea\u00adthless. Seeing them in my gar\u00adden in their full ma\u00adgni\u00adfi\u00adcen\u00adce was the ful\u00adfill\u00adment of a long-held dream of mi\u00adne, but bad luck (or bet\u00adter my inex\u00adpe\u00adrien\u00adce) struck me hard. Af\u00adter flo\u00adwe\u00adring it star\u00adted pou\u00adring do\u00adwn rain for se\u00adve\u00adral days. One of the few, but fa\u00adtal, ad\u00adver\u00adsi\u00adties of iri\u00adses is wa\u00adter sta\u00adgna\u00adtion. I pre\u00adpa\u00adred a rai\u00adsed flo\u00adwer\u00adbed for them, but it was lo\u00adca\u00adted at the ba\u00adse of a slo\u00adpe, and the wa\u00adter stop\u00adped flo\u00adwing near the flo\u00adwer\u00adbed. And as a re\u00adsult, at the be\u00adgin\u00adning of Ju\u00adne rhi\u00adzo\u00admes of my gor\u00adgeous crea\u00adtu\u00adres be\u00adgan to rot. What to do? I went wrong again, and de\u00adci\u00added to dig up iris roo\u00adtstocks and to put them in po\u00adts. The scor\u00adching sum\u00admer de\u00adci\u00adma\u00adted my be\u00adlo\u00adved plan\u00adts by dry\u00ading them to death.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Slope
Slo\u00adpe of my iris hill<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

It was sum\u00admer 2012, my work was con\u00adsi\u00adde\u00adra\u00adbly de\u00adcrea\u00adsing (in fact I clo\u00adsed my bu\u00adsi\u00adness at the end of the year), and I be\u00adgan clea\u00adning out the wood sur\u00adroun\u00adding my hou\u00adse. This area is a steep slo\u00adpe, and the\u00adre\u00adfo\u00adre it is ve\u00adry sui\u00adta\u00adble for iri\u00adses for two rea\u00adsons: at fir\u00adst wa\u00adter sta\u00adgna\u00adtion can be avoi\u00added, and then drops, fal\u00adling du\u00adring the rain, boun\u00adce away from plan\u00adts avoi\u00adding leaf con\u00adta\u00admi\u00adna\u00adtion by spo\u00adres of pos\u00adsi\u00adble fun\u00adgal di\u00adsea\u00adses (but I would ha\u00adve found out that on\u00adly in a se\u00adcond ti\u00adme thanks to con\u00adtact with real ex\u00adperts).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So my iris hill (\u201cLa col\u00adli\u00adna del\u00adle iris\u201d in Ita\u00adlian) has born. From that year on I ha\u00adve al\u00adways or\u00adde\u00adred new va\u00adrie\u00adties from the com\u00adpa\u00adny Iri\u00adde, and ma\u00adny other iris nur\u00adse\u00adries, I plan\u00adted the iri\u00adses or\u00adde\u00adred in pre\u00advious years by my mum\u00admy, which in the mean\u00adti\u00adme had re\u00adpro\u00addu\u00adced, and I ex\u00adchan\u00adged them with friends, till I rea\u00adched ap\u00adprox. 2200 clumps in\u00adclu\u00adding mo\u00adre than 1000 va\u00adrie\u00adties.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Eve\u00adry va\u00adrie\u00adty is pro\u00advi\u00added with the la\u00adbel with its na\u00adme, but not all are re\u00adgi\u00adste\u00adred. So\u00adme are hi\u00adsto\u00adri\u00adcal iri\u00adses (i.e. they ha\u00adve re\u00adsi\u00added in my grand\u00admo\u00adthers\u2019 gar\u00addens for ma\u00adny years), the iden\u00adti\u00adfi\u00adca\u00adtion of which is not su\u00adre.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"A
A glimp\u00adse of the \u201cDwarf Lit\u00adtle Pla\u00adce\u201d<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

In Au\u00adgu\u00adst 2018, it was ne\u00adces\u00adsa\u00adry to rear\u00adran\u00adge plan\u00adts, in or\u00adder to ma\u00adke room for new ones. This is the rea\u00adson why this si\u00adte was born. Th\u00adro\u00adwing iris rhi\u00adzo\u00admes away is again\u00adst my prin\u00adci\u00adples. So\u00adme are na\u00adme\u00adless, others are re\u00adgi\u00adste\u00adred va\u00adrie\u00adties, but I think that so\u00adme\u00adthing, which is no lon\u00adger nee\u00added by so\u00admeo\u00adne, can be use\u00adful to ano\u00adther. At the sa\u00adme ti\u00adme, so\u00admeo\u00adne el\u00adse might ha\u00adve ex\u00adcee\u00adding rhi\u00adzo\u00admes, and the ex\u00adchan\u00adge could be fa\u00advou\u00adra\u00adble for them both.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

My iris hill in\u00adclu\u00added al\u00adrea\u00addy the \u201cDwarfs Lit\u00adtle Pla\u00adce\u201d (in par\u00adtial sha\u00adde, be\u00adcau\u00adse the\u00adse va\u00adrie\u00adties well to\u00adle\u00adra\u00adte less sun\u00adny pla\u00adces), and now a new area was crea\u00adted: the \u201cHi\u00adsto\u00adric Iris Val\u00adley\u201d, whe\u00adre all the\u00adse va\u00adrie\u00adties ha\u00adve been plan\u00adted. In Ja\u00adnua\u00adry 2018 two hi\u00adgh plan\u00adts we\u00adre cut do\u00adwn (in\u00addeed they we\u00adre ve\u00adry dan\u00adge\u00adrous be\u00adcau\u00adse lo\u00adca\u00adted at road\u00adsi\u00adde), in or\u00adder to gi\u00adve light to this new plan\u00adting si\u00adte, and on Au\u00adgu\u00adst all rhi\u00adzo\u00admes ha\u00adve been dug out, di\u00advi\u00added and plan\u00adted again in the val\u00adley de\u00addi\u00adca\u00adted to them. Ma\u00adny other re\u00adgi\u00adste\u00adred va\u00adrie\u00adties had to be re\u00adpo\u00adsi\u00adtio\u00adned as well, and they ha\u00adve been ex\u00adchan\u00adged among lo\u00advers of this flo\u00adwer, which gi\u00adves us ever new co\u00adlours and emo\u00adtions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In sub\u00adse\u00adquent years ex\u00adchan\u00adges and pur\u00adcha\u00adses went on with the aim to en\u00adlar\u00adge the col\u00adlec\u00adtion of tho\u00adse won\u00adder\u00adful plan\u00adts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When this si\u00adte was laun\u00adched, in May 2018, my iris hill ac\u00adco\u00admo\u00adda\u00adted about 810 iris clumps in\u00adclu\u00adding 340 dif\u00adfe\u00adrent va\u00adrie\u00adties. Now 2200 clumps and 1000 va\u00adrie\u00adties ha\u00adve been ex\u00adcee\u00added.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"A
A bou\u00adquet of dwarf iri\u00adses<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

You will find mo\u00adst of them in the Gal\u00adle\u00adry<\/span><\/a><\/strong> (sor\u00adted by class, hy\u00adbri\u00addi\u00adzer and year of re\u00adgi\u00adstra\u00adtion): 676 are tall bear\u00added iri\u00adses, 20 are bor\u00adder bear\u00added ones, in\u00adter\u00adme\u00addia\u00adte bear\u00added iri\u00adses are ap\u00adprox. six\u00adty, and stan\u00addard dwarf bear\u00added ones al\u00admo\u00adst 200; then the\u00adre are ap\u00adprox. 20 spe\u00adcies iri\u00adses, 15 aril\u00adbreds, 10 mi\u00adnia\u00adtu\u00adre tall and 10 mi\u00adnia\u00adtu\u00adre dwarf bear\u00added va\u00adrie\u00adties.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The re\u00admai\u00adning ones are na\u00adme\u00adless iri\u00adses. I know that they ha\u00adve been re\u00adgi\u00adste\u00adred, but their la\u00adbel got lo\u00adst, or they ha\u00adve been in pos\u00adses\u00adsion of my fa\u00admi\u00adly for ma\u00adny years wi\u00adthout ever being able to iden\u00adti\u00adfy them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I was of\u00adten asked whe\u00adther it was pos\u00adsi\u00adble to pur\u00adcha\u00adse rhi\u00adzo\u00admes in\u00adstead of ex\u00adchan\u00adging them. From March 2022 it is pos\u00adsi\u00adble not on\u00adly oc\u00adca\u00adsio\u00adnal\u00adly. Iri\u00adses will be de\u00adli\u00adve\u00adred with Plant Pas\u00adsport com\u00adply\u00ading with re\u00adgu\u00adla\u00adtions in for\u00adce, so they can be ex\u00adpor\u00adted to all coun\u00adtries of the Eu\u00adro\u00adpean Union. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you are in\u00adte\u00adre\u00adsted in ex\u00adchan\u00adge or pur\u00adcha\u00adse, re\u00adfer to pa\u00adge \u201cAvai\u00adla\u00adble iri\u00adses<\/span><\/a><\/strong>\u201d, whe\u00adre you will find the li\u00adst of the va\u00adrie\u00adties, which are rea\u00addy to lea\u00adve my iris hill to find a new pla\u00adce in your gar\u00adden!!!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Hi\u00adsto\u00adry of my iris hill be\u00adgan as fol\u00adlo\u00adws: Sin\u00adce 1995 I ha\u00adve been li\u00adving in a Pied\u00admon\u00adte\u00adse area, which \u2013 in my opi\u00adnion \u2013 is one of the mo\u00adst won\u00adder\u00adful: Mon\u00adfer\u00adra\u00adto. When I bought my hou\u00adse and I mo\u00adved and li\u00adved in this fa\u00adbu\u00adlous sce\u00adna\u00adrio, I had few ti\u00adme to de\u00advo\u00adte to the sur\u00adroun\u00adding ground, [\u2026]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1639,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"wp_typography_post_enhancements_disabled":false,"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","ast-disable-related-posts":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"set","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-1664","page","type-page","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lacollinadelleiris.it\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/1664","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lacollinadelleiris.it\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lacollinadelleiris.it\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lacollinadelleiris.it\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lacollinadelleiris.it\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1664"}],"version-history":[{"count":35,"href":"https:\/\/www.lacollinadelleiris.it\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/1664\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":29906,"href":"https:\/\/www.lacollinadelleiris.it\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/1664\/revisions\/29906"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lacollinadelleiris.it\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1639"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lacollinadelleiris.it\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1664"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}