4TH OF JULY ARRANGEMENT--GLADS & DELPHINIUM

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, AMERICA!

Hooray for the Red, White and Blue!  With the ever-blooming blue delphinium, the first of the glads in red and white look festive just in time for the 4th in this summer arrangement.  I plant GLADIOLA CORMS early in the year, and then every 2 weeks, through June, and sometimes into July, for blooms all summer long and into fall.  Things I love about them: Their stunning blooms, with beautiful spear-like foliage, they don't take up room in the crowded flower beds.  They are easy to grow and take care of.  They like full sun, and moist, but not wet, soil. They are stunning in floral arrangements, with a long vase life. Grasshoppers like them, so I have to keep the grasshopper population down, but, other than that, don't seem to have many problems. In the fall, I lift the corms after the foliage has yellowed and store them in a mesh bag, hung in the shed. They over-winter well, and are ready to plant as soon as the ground thaws in early March. They come in assorted colors, and sizes, with ones as short as 12-18" that don't need staking, to mid-sized, which I prefer, that are 3-4'. I usually stake mine.Tall ones reach as high as 60".