Gladioli are summer flowering bulbs and make beautiful cut flowers with their velvety petals. They’ll also attract lots of pollinators like bees and butterflies to your garden so great for encouraging wildlife. They can grow up to 1.8 metres tall so best placed in the middle of your borders. They are very easy to care for and can be planted in most soil types in a full sun & sheltered spot.
How To Plant
The best time to plant them is spring (ideally mid-April). Avoid planting in waterlogged or frozen ground and it’s best to protect the young growth with a mulch (try Gro-Sure Smart Ground Cover) or fleece until the risk of frost has passed. They will flower between July and October.
Dig a hole 3 times the size and depth of the corm, add some plant food to the soil such as Fish, Blood & Bone, and position the corm at the bottom of the hole in an upright position with the pointed end facing upwards. Back fill the soil and water in. Allow 20 cm spacing between corms.
If you plant some every few weeks between April and June you’ll get blooms all summer long with plenty for cut flower arrangements. When cutting make sure there are no more than two open blooms to give longevity in the vase.
How To Care
Water them regularly during the growing season and stake any taller varieties. In autumn after flowering you can leave them in the ground through mild winters as long as you mulch them with a thick compost or leaf mould. Alternatively you can lift them after the first frosts and store indoors in a cool dry place.
Our favourites
Gladiolus Mombasa
dramatic dark purple petals growing to a height of 1 metre
Gladiolus Plum Tart
Beautiful rich pink blooms growing between 90 & 120 cm in height
Gladiolus Ruffled Kirov
Unusual and rare ruffled yellow petals with a splash of damson pink in the centre of trumpets
