My SA glad is blooming. It's very petite.
Gladiolus griseus
Whole plant.
One more. Love the color.
A few more pics today. I first saw these minis at the Smith College Greenhouse Bulb show 3 years ago. When I saw them it was pure lust! I wanted them so badly. I finally found some sources after a lot of research and the rest is history!!
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boo, that is absolutely gorgeous!
edited to add: that would go GREAT in my new blue bed.
This message was edited Jan 18, 2009 11:07 AM
It is gorgeous! Not much leaf area for bulb replenishment, though. Seems to be not so uncommon with the species. Did you buy this as a bulb or seed?
I don't think I have ever seen lavender anthers before, except maybe with Spiderwort.
This message was edited Jan 18, 2009 12:02 PM
I pretty sure I got bulbs from Telos. Two of the five species did not send out leaves this year. I wish I knew what I was doing. I put them in dormancy for the summer and brought them to a sunny window for the winter and started to water this fall. Do you know what I should feed them?
I don't know that much about species glads either, but some are winter growers and some are summer growers. It would logically hold that they would require different temp regimes to sprout, but I don't know.
Such a delicate treat. Thanks for sharing your Gladiolus griseus. Patti
You are very welcome, my dear.
Hi! I'm pretty new to gardening, so this may be a dumb question, but... are gladiolus annual or perennial?
Most are annuals here in zone 5. I plant the bulbs in spring in the garden, they bloom in late summer, and I dig them up in fall (cut off the foliage) and stick them in a dark place in a paper bag. This South African one though I have in a pot and I put it in the dark for the summer and bring it out in fall (to a windowsill) and start to water it so it will bloom in winter.
Annuals grow from seed, produce flowers, set seed, and completely die in one growing season.
So technically, glads are perennials, but as Boojum says, they are grown as annuals since most need to dug in the fall if you want them to survive to the next season. Nearry all are not cold hardy enough to survive zone 5 winters outside.
This message was edited Mar 22, 2009 10:07 AM
exactly what leftwood said. Just wanted to add that in warmer climates such as mine, I don't have to lift them, thank goodness. Glads are great and easy bulbs to grow and the variety of colors is inmense. also reasonable priced.
It's absolutely beautiful booj!
Many of my winter growing ones returned for the winter in the greenhouse, but it was a very cold and long winter so I'm quite happy about that! They are still spindly things though, eventually I will know what will live here and what won't. I sowed more seed in the autumn but none has shown, too cold, but they may grow yet. Sowed the last few packs this spring, that's it, lol.
Wow! From seed. You are a patient soul. I'm impressed!