I love gladiolas but…
They are boring before they bloom.
They bloom for only a short time.
They fall over when it rains.
When they are done blooming they are messy.
I have tried really hard to accommodate them this year.
In their defense, I did make the mistake of planting them on a hill.
I did plant them in a row, when I usually do groupings.
So these were my mistakes.
I did do some things right.
I staggered the planting times by two weeks.
They are deer resistant, so they have not been snacked on like my hostas and daylilies.
I chose colors that I thought would complement each other.
I also developed a new colorful way of staking them using giant pick-up sticks painted green with recycled glass balls on the ends, to prevent impalement as I weed them.
I planted groups of Acidanthera/Gladiolus callianthus on the ends of the rows to extend bloom time. (These have not bloomed, yet.)
But in the end, they were a flop.
Figuratively and literally.
Another disappointment was the colors in a package named ‘Mardi Gras’.
What should have been a festive mix turned out to be two colors, fuschia and white. Clunk!
The only reasons I haven’t written the company yet are I lost the package and the whites had purple stamens. I love purple, so they are keepers.
They other package of ‘Pricilla’ was lovely.
I will dig these corms up and haul them in for the winter,
but there will be a whole new plan next year.
Follow the FLOWER’s flops.
In my garden in Atlanta I was surprised the spring after we bought our house by a row of Priscilla Glads. Smack in the middle of the front lawn! I thought Ewww, funeral flowers, but lacking many plants I kept them and moved them around in groups. Eventually, I learned to love them and still miss the foliage and flowers for flower arrangements!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Merci de votre magnifique billet… j’ai toujours aimé les glaïeuls, c’est une fleur magnifique et qui tient longtemps dans un vase.
Mes amitiés.
LikeLiked by 1 person
My summer has been crazy busy. Finally getting a chance to read through your posts is a delight.
LikeLike