| |
|
|
|
|
I found an interesting article on the University of Calgary website written by Dr. Michael Hickman. He writes that the name Gladiolus is Latin for "small sword", referring to the shape of the shape of the leaves.
He also notes that the Gladiolus was also known as the "Sword Lily" or "Corn Lily". I can see how they are similar to Lilies in flower form, but they do differ greatly in how they flower. |
Yellow Gladiolus
"Nova Lux"
|
|
| |
|
|
|
Gladiolus flowers grow from a long stalk with several spikes of widely funnel-shaped flowers. The lower spikes bloom first and die as the upper blooms develop.
| |
|
|
|
|
On May 6, 2007, I planted a row of pink and yellow gladiolus in front of my backyard porch. The pictures of Gladiolus I'm giving away as free desktop pictures are a result of what has bloomed so far.
It took about 2 months for the bulbs to grow to flowers and even less than that to see the flowers die. My lack of proper watering was probably a major contributor to that, since our weather has been quite hot with little rain. Lesson learned - water them more often then once a week and use a layer of mulch to help keep the ground moist.
|
Pink Gladiolus
"Rose Supreme"
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
