Is anyone else growing Gladiolus this summer? I haven't had it in so long I picked up a 10 pack at HD today called 'Wig's Sensation' it looks to be a deep copper/red colour with white accents. Very pretty! I seem to remember hearing that when used as cutflowers they need to be recut everyday.....is this true?

Thanks,
Steven

Steven, I actually have a few glads coming up from last year. They generally don't overwinter well so will be anxious to see what they do. I did have several return last year but it was a milder winter than this past one.
I don't recut mine every day in arrangements? NEver heard of that.

It was something my Mom told me that they are supposed to be recut daily to last longer. I think I have 3(?) out of 5 glads coming up.....they are in a tub but something has been munching them so I think theres only 3 left......the other 2 might sprout again though.... I still have 5 bulbs left to plant when the garden is finished a couple weeks.

Sounds like a good tip your mother passed down, I'll try it out this year.
What do you think has been munching? deer?

Hmm, don't think its deer, the planter is fairly close to the house and the yard is fenced in....the funny thing is that whatever it is isn't eating the poppies planted with it. Just the cosmos and the glads Maybe a caterpillar?

It's amazing how fast some of the cats can devour a plant!

YES! There have been a few cats in the area lately! Maybe thay are chewing on my Glads? I bought some slug bait yesterday so I will put some down tomorrow incase some slugs are hiding in the poppy foliage!

I am fortunate I live where Glads don't need to be lifted in fall, so I grow them every year and add more each year.

You are very fortunate! You must have a beautiful garden!

Well I am in the desert so the garden looks different, meaning not lush, but the flowers that do well here, really do well!

Well, I would never have thought of glads doing well in the dessert! I take it you have alot of sand in your soil? Do you have any pictures?

Sand? I add loads of compost yearly to try to keep some water to stay around for the plants I'll check on the pics., I don't have any on this computer, but do have them on my home computer.

I'll second that! would love to see flowers.

Sorry, I had to ask Would you be able to send some of that sand this way? We have clay soil........you can cut it with a knife!

I have some glads coming back after the last couple years which is unusual as they don't overwinter well in my area.

Thats great Candee! Maybe some cultivars overwinter better then others?

All of my pictures are from previous years, but are at home. I may not get to sending them until the weekend

Thas ok Sonoita! I'll be looking forward to seeing them when you get a chance to post them.

I tried an experiment I read about last year. Planting glads deep and covering them with straw to overwinter.

I planted the glads about 6-8 inches deep. I had a really nice harvest of them. When the stems died I cut them off, and put straw on top of them. Straw comes in a bale, and it separates into sheets. I used a whole sheets to lay down on top of them, not fluffing it up, or anything. In the spring when it warmed up I took the sheet of straw off the top, and all the glads came back.

I understand the glads will only be full and nice for about 3 years, and then you need to replant, but much easier than replanting every year.

Glads do not normally come back here, and we had a definite z5 year here, with extended temps between 0 and -10.

Here's my first one this year.

Very nice arangement Polly and thank-you for sharing that information!
I didn't get any Glads planted this year but there is always next summer I guess Thats a really nice one you have there, I've been eyeing the same one or one just like it in the catalogs every spring!