If GLEE was a flower…

Gladiolus, straight and tall, at a Gladiolus society show hosted by the Western Massachusetts Gladiolus Society.

The poor, poor gladiolus. Under-appreciated, and more likely to be associated with funeral sprays and rubber-banded into boring take-away bundles at the super market, than the show bench, the lowly glad is sad. But wait…..it’s not too late to change ones association with the Gladiolus….instead of church alter , think mass planting in perennial border. Instead funeral spray , think orchids on a stick. Instead of thinking of mesh bags at Home Depot t, think stately 5 foot tall spikes of fabulous color. Don’t be mad, be glad!

Here is my odd observation:  Glads are one of those plants that for whatever reason, men grow more than women. Probably because in the 1940’s, the Gladiolus was sold in feed and grain and hardware stores, where corms could be purchased in the spring, when one bought their seed potatoes or onion sets. These were not ladies plants, and thus, were banished to the rear of the Asparagus beds or behind tomato plants, as if men were embarrassed to grow such lovely and yet, frivolous flowers.
So if you think ho hum, when someone mentions the Glad, think again. If the Dahlia can have a comeback party, maybe it’s also time for the show Glad to have it’s coming out party. If show choir’s cna make a comeback, so too can the Glad.

This variety, called ‘Smoke and Mirrors’ was particularly eye catching.

Hardly shy, the Gladiolus is pure impressive. Like so many plants which were popular in the 1940’s and 1950’s, the Gladiola have fallen out of fashion. But  a new generation is discovering these pushed aside South African beauties who have suffered a bad PR beating.

I’m sure the reasons are many, for like most plant societies, membership is dropping, and new members are few and far between. Most Gladiolus society members are over 70 years old, if not in their 80’s. Reaching a peak in the post war period when in the late 1940’s and 1950’s it seemed that everyone grew at least one row of Glads in the back of the vegetable garden, today, the idea of cut flower gardens is becoming popular, but the glad is overlooked for many reasons, but mostly I think because of it’s association with cheap, florist flowers. After all, who wants to grow Football mums, Carnations, or white glads?

Judges examine a table of Gladiolus at the Western Massachusetts Gladilus Society show at the Eastfield Mall, in Springfield, MA.

If you decide to grow some gladiolus, go for the best, and order some new varieties from a specialist breeder. Why not look for the same varieties people grow for exhibition, for these are the absolute best. Amazing colors, incredible ruffling, massive stems and flowers, these are hardly your grandpa’s glads.

Really though, there isn’t much subtlety in the world of Glads, check out some of these names from a catalog:  Fire Engine, Astroman, Dynamite, Exclamation, Easy Rider, Imperial Master, Mr. Lincoln, Royal Spice, Starfighter, Spitfire, Smokin, Storm Clouds, Torch, and Violence. ( All  from the 2010 catalog of Pleasant Valley Glads).

Next year, try ordering some exhibition Glads ( not the ones you find in your typical bulb catalogs or at the local nursery. Go for the extraordinary. Check out the Gladiolus Society site, and links for more info. Glads are easy to grow, relatively care free, they just want lots of water and warm summers, and they are relatively inexpensive. The really good ones may cost you a couple of dollars each, but then today, so does a good cup of coffee. Save the corms every fall in your cellar, and before long, if you buy a few each year, you will have a collection. Try ordering some to grow and then enter them in a local Gladiolus society show ( check on line for one in your area) or better yet, order a couple dozen and plant them in a large clump in your perennial bed, they make amazing exclamation points when grown en-masse, and cars will stop to ask you what are you growing that can give you such color in August.

 Some color combinations were very showy.

Interested in learning more about the Gladiolus? Look here for a chapter near you. Most clubs will have both shows in the autumn, and bulb sales or auctions in the spring. Some have social dinners, and meetings throughout the winter.

For other websites, try these.
The North American Gladiolus Council

To order corms, try these specialists:

Cates Family Glads

Blooming Prairie Gardens

Pleasant Valley Glads Our local grower, and the guys who were at this show. Amazing selection.

Honker Flats in Minnesota growers

Noweta Gardens Big retail grower

LITHUANIAN GLAD SUPPLIERS ( They say they ship worldwide) ( Hey, I’m Lithianian, so I thought I’d include it)

Geles

Unique Gladioli

 There are many green Gladilous, and are often overlooked by people wanting to grow green flowers.