Summer Gladiolus!
One of my personal favorites! I think it’s time to challenge the bias against gladiolus! Seems most people associate them as “cheap”, used only in funeral work, immediately dismissing this gorgeous garden flower as one to be used in memorial displays. Oh yeah, time to change that perspective!
Let’s take a good look at these long lasting beauties, full of blossoms from the base to tip of the stem!
Botanically speaking, Gladioli are in the iris family, and are also called ‘Sword Lilies’, appropriate, don’t you think?. They grow from corms, kind of like bulbs, as the corms are a food storage for the plant. In the garden, you treat them as you would any bulb plant. They go into dormancy, and propagate by producing ‘cormlets’! In San Diego the weather is so temperate, I never know when my gladiolus are gonna come up- from fall to spring, but as most bulbs, they need a bit of cool temps to set them off.
Trend Alert: Ever really check out the individual blossoms? Delicate and paper thin, they withstand the test of time, each ruffled blossom opening over the course of a week. With research and development, hybridization has created trend colors of terra cotta, tangerine, lime, mocha, mauve, magenta and the deepest aubergine. Solid saturated colors or Bi-color ruffles in dual tints and tones make you appreciate the single stems in simple geometric, heavy tall vases.
Suggestions for design: Tall Vases- a bunch of gladiolus with seasonal branches, or curly willow. They are a “stand alone” flower, sculptural in their own right. As the lower blossoms fade, pull them off to enjoy the rest of the stem as it blooms.
Short Vases- cut each long stem into sections and group them low, for an abundant centerpiece or smaller for a bedside table. Add some scented geranium or ivy from your garden, and this flower comes alive! When my donation flowers for Heliotrope for Hospice include gladiolus, that’s the technique I use- simple and clean, closer to the vase for a compact design.
Tips for cut flower care: the longer a cut flower lasts, the more we forget to care for it! Remember to keep the water clean (with a few drops of bleach in the water). Remove any foliage below the water line. If you “snap” or cut the very tip of the stem off, this encourages faster blooming all the way up to the top!
Have I convinced you yet?! Take a chance! So many places to grab a bunch or two- whether at the Farmer’s Market, supermarket, or your own garden. Discover the simple beauty of gladiolus and celebrate the last days of summer !
