Today’s Garden Ideas | Gladioli

Gladioli – Tall and Stately

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Gladioli At A Glance

Gladioli stand out in the garden due to their shape in color. At up to 4 feet high these stately plants will stand tall and proud over your garden. The cone of flowers running up the plant stalk come in a myriad of colors from white, to fuschia, to bright yellow.

In addition some blooms are multi-color with a lighter shade in the center turning to a deeper tone on the outside of the flower and vice versa. You might want to try ‘Sacred Heart’. This flower has a bright red center fading to white on the outside of the bloom. ‘Saint George’ has yellow on its lower petals and red on its upper petals.

Pick Your Spot

Gladioli are best planted at the back of your garden as they grow

so tall. They work well in both flower beds and borders. In fact, a collection of Gladioli framing your walkway is quite impressive. Once the flowers fade, the sword-like foliage adds quite a formidable dimension to your path. Gladioli also look lovely grown in groups separated by deep green foliage. Because Gladioli are such a wonderful flowers for cutting be sure to plant them somewhere with easy access.

Planting Buddies

Plant Gladioli with flowers that are also strong in color. Try planting Sunflowers with ‘Yellow Bird’ Gladiolus. Plant the ‘Yellow Bird’ just in front of the Sunflowers for a pure yellow garden.

White Daisies go very well with deep purple ‘Stained Glass’ Gladiolus. The white and purple contrast each other beautifully.

Or if you really want your Gladiolus to stand out plant them with blooms of more subtle colors. Try using ‘Silver King’ Artemisia with ‘Drama’ Gladiolus, a beautiful bright pink bloom. Or plant the orange ‘Carioca’ Gladiolus for a very dramatic effect.

Purchasing and Planting

Purchase your bulbs in the spring. Be sure the bulbs are plump and firm. Chose the largest bulbs you can find. To not buy bulbs that are soft or have signs of mildew or mold. Avoid any bulbs that are showing signs of growth.

After the last frost dig a large hole about 8 inches deep. If you want to grow your Gladioli in groupings be sure you hole is quite large and round. Add compost and bone meal to your hole using 1 cup per 10 feet of space. Mix in the compost and meal with soil to about 2 inches. Place the bulbs with their pointed ends up about 6 inches apart. For the best effect plant about 10-12 bulbs in a grouping. Cover your bulbs with the rest of the soil and firm it down so your bulbs cannot move. Water well and mulch with pine bark.

As the Gladioli begin to grow you might notice them leaning to one side. Purchase some metal hoop stakes and tie the stalks to these stakes.

Seasonal Tips

In winter or early spring purchase your bulbs from catalogs. Plant your Gladioli once the danger of frost has passed. Flowers will bloom in about 90 days. If you live in zones 1-7 dig up your bulbs in the fall after the foliage has turned yellow. Spread them out and place in a frost-free airy spot. You might want to store them in a pail filled with sawdust.

When you dig up your Gladiolus you might find the bulb has grown some offshoots called cormlets. Peel these off and plant when the spring comes to grow new plants.

Growing Tips

Gladoili like partial shade or full sun. They will grow straighter in full sun and will not be as likely to need a stake. The soild should be well-drained.

Try planting a batch of bulbs every 12 days or so until mid-summer. This will give you continuous blooming. When flowers are produced fertilize your Gladioli with seaweed and fish emulsion for bigger blooms.

Gladioli are subject to invasion from Thrips. These are small brown or white bugs that will eat the flower buds. To keep Thrips away soak the bulbs for a few hours just before planting in 11/4 tablespoons of disinfectant cleaner to 1 gallon of water.

Quick Tips

Gladioli are a summer bloomer that are very easy to care for. They grow in all zones in full sun or light shade. Gladioli like rich, well-drained soil. Each plant can spread out 10 inches wide and grow up to 4 feet tall. Gladioli make great cut flowers and look beautiful in a crystal vase sitting on a sideboard in your entranceway.