We are told in chapter two of The Railway Children, that the back kitchen roof has several flowers growing on it. One flower mentioned is the purple flag flower. These same flowers grow right here in Maine, but we call them "Blue Flag" or "Wild Iris". In the spring time many of them grow along my nature path. Do any grow near your house?

          Http://www.holoweb.com/cannon/wildiris.htm has this information on the Blue Flag: 

    Blue flag (Iris versicolor) is a native herb found in eastern and central Canada. This plant has been mentioned as causing poisoning in humans and animals, but case reports have not been found. The plant juice can cause dermatitis in sensitive individuals.  Wild irises are perennials that grow in swamps, wet meadows and moist woods throughout North America. Like their cultivated relatives, they are easily identified by their flat, sword-shaped leaves and distinctive flowers. Each blossom consists of three erect petals and three larger outer petal-like sepals, usually the same color as the petals, which ordinarily curve downward from the base of the flower and are marked with crests of a contrasting color.

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