Let’s sit back and smell the Irises, my friends, because they are, at least in some respects, head and shoulder over that dusty, old, bygone, the rose!

The fresh, sumptuous lustre of their dewy, iridescent blossoms on a spring day, the perky, shivery, curious stem scouting the air and the mesmerising blush of rainbow colours make it a sight for anyone’s sore eyes. The name comes from the Greek word for ‘rainbow’ and most mythology adepts will tell you Iris was the messenger of the gods, the link between sea and sky, the rainbow glider, if you will.

Doesn’t that just inspire you to find a bunch of Irises for your girlfriend, mother, daughter and sister right now? It should, because on Iris Day, all is forgiven if you bring a bunch of these to your special someone; so if you’ve been naughty, now’s the time to be nice.