Another early blooming flower is the dwarf iris and you will see a number of varieties of them in various places around the Garden.  I love to read about the various flowers blooming at the Garden in the "What's in Bloom" section of the CBG website.  You learn all sorts of interesting facts about the flowers.  The irises have a splotch of white with a strip of yellow known as the "nectar guide."  It acts to attract bees and other nectar gathering insects onto the "landing strip" and guide them inside the flower to the nectar and pollen.  The insects carry the pollen from one flower to another, causing pollination of the flowers.  Clever! The most beautiful spot to see the irises is in the wooded area of the Sensory Garden.   

The 'Harmony' irises are nestled in between the Whitespire birches in the woods.