Time for Summer Bulbs
Gardening Tips for Spring
- Hang up codling moth traps now to reduce wormy apples in your harvest this year.
- Plant tomatoes and peppers now, but be ready to cover them if cold weather returns.
- Choose azaleas, rhododendrons, and camellias now for beautiful spring flowers in shady gardens.
- Add bleeding hearts to your shade garden for a charming perennial accent.
- Attract goldfinches with thistle feeders for bright yellow color outside your window.
About Gladiolus
Gladiolus has long been a favorite in the florist trade for its stately beauty in arrangements, but it also adds dramatic flair to gardens. Native to South Africa and part of the iris family, these flowers come in nearly every color except true blue and grow on tall stems (3–6 feet). They grow from corms (similar to bulbs) and should be planted in spring for summer blooms.
The orchid-like flowers are often ruffled and open from the bottom up, all facing one direction. The sword-shaped leaves form narrow, upright fans. Glads make excellent cut flowers—harvest when the bottom bloom opens, and most buds will continue to open in a vase, lasting about 10 days.
Planting and Care
- Plant corms from now through June in full sun.
- Amend soil with compost and add bulb fertilizer or bone meal to the planting hole.
- Plant corms 6 inches deep and 6 inches apart.
- For continuous blooms, plant new corms every 2 weeks until June (flowers will appear from midsummer to early October).
- Water regularly during dry weather until leaves yellow, then withhold water.
- If foliage doesn’t yellow before frost, cut back after the first frost.
- Container-grown glads need regular fertilization (when spikes appear and after blooming).
- Stake or tie plants to prevent toppling (rows, clumps, or mixed with perennials work well).
Design Tips
Gladiolus flowers come in red, pink, rose, orange, yellow, white, lavender, purple, and bi-colors. Choose corms to match indoor decor or garden color schemes. Their vertical growth adds height and drama to flower borders.