I also ordered five Stinking Iris (Iris foetidissima) as bare root plants with my recent order from Shipton Bulbs. NB they don't stink, the foliage just smells a bit musty if crushed. This is a tough as old boots plant that will grow in the deepest shade be it damp or dry. The flowers in early summer are exquisite though not prominent; the bright orange/red berries in autumn are hard to miss.

 As the photo shows they are sent out with some soil still attached wrapped in damp newspaper. This is sufficient to sustain them for a day or two during transit. I aim to unpack bare root plants immediately on delivery so they get air and sunlight. In this case I knew I wouldn't get around to planting them till later in the week so I sat them in a bag of compost with the fronds poking out. They will get some nutrition through the roots in the meanwhile.

 A plant as hardy as I. foetidissima won't be deterred by a bit of rough handling in this fashion.