iris 'purple gem'

I should have loads like thes (Iris reticulata and similar) on my rockery but there are none coming up. The blasted mice keep eating them and my snowdrops!

Time to adopt a feral cat, Paul. :-)

NO, allergic to cats I'm afraid. Can't get near them. They make me sneeze, eyes run, chest wheeze etc I would have thought Paddy's presence would put them off but it seems not. We are veryu close to farm fields so get a lot of mice!

Harry Dodson (The Victorian Kitchen Garden) used to put sprigs of holly over his peas when he sowed them to stop the mice from eating them - might work for iris and snowdrops?

I would have need a lot of Holly leaves . the little blighters have had many hundreds from my garden(snowdrops mainly) On my rockery I've tried all sorts including pegging chicken wire down but they got under it!