Mystery iris

It rained for most of the day and I didn't get out into the garden until after lunch, when it suddenly cleared and the sun came out; luckily the dry spell also brought out a lot of hungry bugs, so I managed quite a few recording shots. But by the time I was on the return leg of my walk it was overcast again, and then thunder started to grumble in the distance. I stayed out until the storm was very close and the rain had started again in earnest, and then retreated to the house.

I was surprised to notice this Siberian iris in the pear tree bed, because I'd never seen it before. A couple of years ago R and I lifted two huge and unproductive clumps of iris from the front border; I split the bearded ones and spread the viable corms quite successfully throughout the garden, but I thought that I'd replanted all the beardless ones at the front of the house, where they're continuing to sulk about being disturbed. Also, when they last flowered they were all indigo - none was this striking mid-blue colour, so the sudden appearance of this one is doubly perplexing.

Leaving the mystery aside, I'm very pleased with it and I hope that it survives and thrives - a clump of these attractive flowers would be a welcome addition to this section of the garden, which has always been a problem area and where I still struggle to get good plants to establish. I will be watching keenly for its reappearance this time next year.