For years, I've never dug up my glads, and they come back. Last night I was looking at some for sale and they all said zone 8 and to dig them up here. Is planting them a little bit on the deep side part of the trick or have I just gotten lucky with mild winters?
Gladiolus Question...
My guess would be the mild winters, but who knows? Could be a sheltered area of the garden helping too.
I have a few return in a sheltered area, this past winter was not mild here, so don't expect to see them this year. I do have some hardy glads too.
Some Glads if planted near a foundation and in direct sun can and will come back. I have never been so lucky...even the 'hardy' glads don't come back here. I have tried them 4 times...the 4th being last fall and I see no sign of life yet. Boo!
Well, I guess I've just been lucky! The red ones I got at Dollar Tree (gotta love dollar bulbs) have come back for two years now and they are in full sun, but not very sheltered. They are on a slightly higher part of the property, and I think I planted them a little deep. I can't remember if the tri-colors came back last year or not, but I also have a mole or chipmunk in that garden. My mother planted one years ago that has come back until last year (or maybe it did but I didn't see it) but that bed is really choked up with tons of stuff, including lily of the valley. At first, it might have been sheltered by the roots of other plants, then ultimately smothered.
I bought some more anyway... the online store A Touch of Nature has mixed glad bulbs... 100 for $5!!!! http://www.touchofnature.com Of course I couldn't just stop at 100 and bought 200. I think I'll plant most of them in a sheltered p[lat and cover them really well for the winter. Or maybe I'll be good and pull them. Some will get sent out as gifts. I'm hoping to sell some of the flowers to the local florists. Even selling them roadside could be some easy extra $$ at that price. I also got 5 Sarah Bernhardt peonies for $8.75 from them. Their closeout prices are pretty amazing - I hope the quality is good!
I have some on the south side and the west side that were transplants from the south side and the've been coming up every year.
Jen, I imagine we've either been lucky that it's been a long time since the temps drop extremely low, or we've put them in the right places, or that some glads are just more hardy than others. I sure love glads, they're magnificent, but as my good friend said today "I'm not much of a Fall gardener" and I know what she means. Digging things back up every season isn't my style. I have enough chores to do! I'll take my chances with them I think. Who knows... maybe I'll be good this year and pull some out, but I never have before!
A tidbit of info I learned a few years ago is that you shouldn't plant glads anywhere near strawberries or green beans. I forget what they do to the berries, but they can shrivel beans from as far away as 70 feet!
I'll have to de-bunk that old wives tale....I plant a row of Glads at both ends of my garden and never have a problem with my beans. As a matter of fact I have way to many and end up giving them away.
The hardy Glads that never come back for me....DID!!!! I have 3 out of 5 sprouted!! I put 4" of mulch on these ones plus we had lots of snow so I think thats what saved em.
Celeste, I like being de-bunked, especially when it comes to glads!
Glad you didn't mind Sue! No watch me have problems with my beans this year just because I opened my mouth!! LOL
Well it sounds like it's going to be a good year for glads! I'd better get cracking on the ones I bought this year to plant. At 100 for $5 from Touch of Nature, how could I resist?
How could I resist 200??
I hope people buy flowers roadside!
I was talking at work today about running late because I was looking at irises, and one of the women said she didn't like iris as they were funeral flowers. I told her she was NUTS!!
She doesn't like glads or lilies either...
This message was edited Jun 6, 2008 5:42 PM
Lillies are more common at funerals, I would say. And carnations.