Glad you're here

Holy gladioli! The gladioli are blooming! The word gladiolus means "little sword" in latin. Gladioli symbolize strong character, moral integrity, and inner power. They are the official birth flower for those born in the month of August. Glads are beloved by hummingbirds and butterflies. I love their vertical structure and huge color range of vibrant hues.

Gladioli grow from corms. A corm is kind of like a bulb but it's solid instead of layered. As the flower grows, the corm is consumed, and then a new corn grows on top of it. Most gladioli are not winter hardy in our zone, so the corms need to be dug up and stored indoors over the winter like dahlias. Glads get planted out after all danger of frost has passed and the soil has warmed to at least 55 degrees. My glads take about 90 days from planting to bloom. They are very predictable in their timing.

The trumpet-shaped florets on a gladiolus open from the bottom of the stalk to the top. Buds will continue to open in the vase. As the lower buds fade, pinch them off to keep the stem looking fresh. Change the water every other day if possible. As with all cut flowers, they will last longest if kept in a cool location, out of direct sunlight, out of strong air flow, and away from ripening fruit.

I am growing just three varieties of gladiolus this year. I can't decide which one I like best. 'Plum Tart' is burgundy or a dark, moody magenta. 'Wine and Roses' is Barbie pink with a white-rimmed wine colored center. 'Mojito' is purple and lavender. I have no idea why it's called that. It doesn't remind me of a mojito at all. It should be called purplicious.

On the Shea Flower Farm stand August 5th

Stop by our flower stand and check out our gladioli. You'll be glad you did. There are 8 gladioli bouquets on the flower stand right now.

Gladioli 'Mojito', 'Plum Tart', and 'Wine and Roses' make their first appearance at Shea Flower Farm stand

Oh, and there are two dahlia bouquets as well.