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"Flowers are love's truest language."
- Park Benjamin
About Gladiolus
Gladiolus can be considered a very much preferred and loved flower.Ladies definitely prefer gladiolus to other flowers, especially because of its outlook. There is something majestic, elegant and fabulous about gladiolus. A bunch of them is not only a nice sight, but a real remedy for the soul. Through its blast of color and elegant appearance gladiolus became quickly a popular flower. Let us know more about the background of this amazing flower.
Gladiolus is native to Eurasia and South Africa. Its exotic outlook, clearly originates from these regions. Furthermore gladiolus is a perennial herb, preferring the temperate climates. It is worth mentioning that gladiolus grow from symmetrical, rounded corms, which are enveloped in several layers of fibrous tunics. Their stems are generally producing 1 to 9 narrow, sword-shaped leaves which are enclosed in a sheath. Moreover the flower spikes are large and one-sided. There are several species of gladiolus, here are some of them:
Gladiolus acuminatus F. Bol.
Gladiolus aequinoctialis Herb.
Gladiolus alatus L.
Gladiolus bellus C. H. Wright
Gladiolus benguellensis Baker
Gladiolus callianthus Mosais : Abyssinian
Gladiolus Gladiolus canaliculatus Goldblatt
Gladiolus candidus (Rendle) Goldblat
Gladiolus dubius Gladiolus dzavakheticus
Gladiolus ecklonii Lehm.
Gladiolus edulis Burchell ex Ker Gawler
Gladiolus elliotii Baker (sect. Ophiolyza)
Gladiolus emiliae L. Bolus
Gladiolus engysiphon http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gladiolus
If you wish to grow gladiolus in your garden, here are some tips to proceed. Usually gladiolus is regarded an easy-to-grow plant. It is recommended to plant them is rows, just like vegetables. You should plant gladiolus in groups of seven corms. Space them seven inches apart. The best time to start planting gladiolus is mid May. Full sunlight and well-drained soil are also essential requisites for gladiolus. It is also a good idea to place stakes for support. This way you can be sure of the success. For summer care apply a layer of mulch such as straw, grass clippings, or pine needles. These will help keeping weeds down.
Furthermore gladioli are susceptible to a number of diseases and are prey to insects, as well. To minimize the chance of disease or insect problems, always start with sound corms. Afterwards be sure to treat the flowers with the adequate things, such as sprays, acephate (Orthene and others) and carbaryl (Sevin).
Thus following the above guidelines, you can be sure of success. Gladiolus will be the perfect flower to bring a blast of color and beauty to your garden.