I planted gladiolus corms this year, for the first time ever. They are almost bloomed out at this point, but they were pretty glorious. None of them were right, but they were glorious. LOL
Something to understand: I *hate* pulling things for winter. No cannas. No elephant ears. If it goes into the ground, it stays there. Kansas City is half a zone away from the hardiness range for gladiolas. Back home, I had a floral designer acquaintance that would punish poor-performing hibiscus plants by leaving them out in the snow of a Cleveland winter. Boy, the survivors flourish the following summer.
So it goes with our gladiolas. Tough it out, and you are welcome to remain part of the beauty of our garden. Admittedly, I am willing to build something to cover that bed to insulate it. I do enjoy experimentation in the garden, just not lifting things for winter.
Something to note: the colors bloom in sequence, meaning all of one color opened before any of another color showed signs of blooming. I am curious if this is an always thing or a first season thing. I will let you know some point in the future.
Now, the white ones disappointed me the most. They were supposed to be green. Green being the color that made gladiolas happen in the garden in the first place. The white blooms were huge and beautiful, but they weren’t green…
The last two are a best guess, really. I’ll guess that the coral was intended to be pink, and that the fuschia is meant to be lavender, but – hey – take your own pick.
Overall, the glads were amazing, each cycle of color popping against the greens, and the yellows of sunflowers. They are a welcome splash on the palette that is our growing garden surrounding our wabi-sabi cottage.
Here’s to hoping they are around to join us in the future, in our wabi-sabi life.
our wabi-sabi life 