Gladiolus

Gladioli belong to the family of Iridaceae. This beautiful flower originates from southern Africa and Mediterranean area. It takes its name from Latin word gladius which means sword. It has firm, sword-like leaves, and at the top it has flowers in shape of butterflies, strung on a tall stem. It grows from bulbs planted in spring, non-resistant to cold weather. For best results, it should be planted in humus, somewhat sandy soil, on a sunny spot. This plant does not require a lot of work. Type with taller stem should be planted deeper in the ground (10-15 centimeters in the ground) so that the plant has better support. Short stems do not require being planted this deep. Distance between plants should be 10-20 centimeters. There are taller and shorter types of gladioli. Depending on the type, their height can vary between 60 and 150 centimeters. Tall ones can be damaged by wind or heavy rain, so it is best to tie them with a string. If you want a colorful garden throughout the whole summer, you should start planting them in the middle of May, and then continue planting new ones every two weeks. That way gladiolus will bloom from June to the end of August. But of course, you can plant the bulbs earlier if you wish.