Common and Botanical Name: Gladiolus
Type: Corm
Size: 2 ½ to 3 ft. or more
Hardiness Zone: 7-9
Origin: Southern Europe
Light: Sun or light shade
Soil: Well drained
Gladiolus, gladioli or simply “glads” happens to be my favorite flower in my cottage garden. If you want a tall plant for the middle or back of the border or an addition to the bouquet you just picked for yourself or a friend then this plant is a must in your cottage garden. Make sure you have a few curved link stakes on hand, this plant can get as tall as 3 feet or more. You should plant the corms (pointed side up) from mid-May through mid-June. The dazzling rainbow-colored blossoms appear amid sword-like foliage in July and continue through the summer depending on the variety and when and how deep you plant the corms. The genus contains about 300 species, but I prefer the grandiflorus and primulinus varieties. Gladiolus makes a great Passalong plant as well. Back in the 90’s I joined a gardening club called the Perry County Buds and Twigs. This group of buds and twigs were very generous with passing along plants, stories, and good advice whether asked for or not. Each summer when the Gladiolus is blooming, I reminiscence back to the days of those summer meetings in the backyard of a proud gardener drinking iced tea with a sprig of spearmint along with some of the nicest people I had ever met. Thank you my gardening friends for passing along a memory.