Click below to listen to my 2 min. Garden Bite radio show: Glad for gladiolas
The gladiolas are blooming and I’m thrilled.
Notice the bamboo sticks holding them up… works great except in a rainstorm!
Glads always remind me of my dad. They were blooming when he passed away. That may sound sad but, honestly, it makes me feel like he gives me flowers every year from Heaven! They are old-fashioned and charming!
They’re part of the Iris family but have a very different look! The sword like foliage is really awesome planted with the delicate look of some native grasses. For those of us in cold climates, we plant the corms in the Spring and wait for their beauty in late summer!
Glads or gladiolus come in a large variety of colors and heights from 2 to 5 ft. tall. The taller ones should be planted in the back of a perennial bed as they may require staking. Mine are about 21/2 to 3 ft tall and look so pretty with my Karl Forester reed grass!
Glads make for a gorgeous cutting flower, the blooms last for a long time.
They love full sun, so find a sunny spot and plant with abandon. You can plant them closer than the package says. Treat them like cannas, dig them up before the first Fall frost and store the corms for next year! Allow the corms to dry in the sun, sift the soil out but leave the husks and store them in paper or cloth bags, pantyhose, or old onion sacks. Stack or hang the containers so air can move around them. My cool basement worked great, I replanted in the spring and they’re beautiful this year!
Growing glads from the Farmer’s Almanac – it’s pretty easy! Plant in sun, water and let them do their thing! Information on how to dig and store gladiolus corms from A Green Hand. How to keep your cut flowers blooming longer.
‘Black Surprise’ is a 4 foot stunner with deep pink edges and a red center! Amazing.
For a sweet compliment, you could plant ‘Charming Beauty’ mini glad. This delight is a 2 footer with smaller soft pink flowers edged in a darker pink.
There are pastels and parrots, kings and jesters among the myriad of choices. Go to my website and take a peek at these beauties then do a little online search yourself. But be prepared to spend some time ogling the offerings!
