Gladiolus

A few days ago I looked down on the back yard from the deck and noticed some small mushrooms in the grass. As I went down the stairs to take a closer look, there was a gladiolus with a spire of near perfect blooms in our overgrown garden! It was promptly cut and taken upstairs to my office.

Gladiolus are flowers that I’ve enjoyed for a long time. My grandparents grew them in their garden when I was a child. A large vase of them stood on the tea cart under my grandmother’s portrait all during the summer season.

I planted the bulbs years ago in my Maryland garden and then ignored them. Their hardiness is one of the things to like about them. The blooms lowest on the stalk unfurl first; when cut just after the first one begins to open, the stems will draw enough water to support the opening of all the buds - which makes for a long lasting display. I prefer a single stalk with a few leaves in a bud vase. There is something quite elegant about the tall slender shape.

I am celebrating gladiolus today.