Grower 'hooked’ on her gladioli

Press, 28 January 1988, Page 1

Grower 'hooked’ on her gladioli

By

JANE DUNBAR

Mrs Edna Taylor is “hooked” on growing gladioli. “I just love gladioli, I always have; and once you start growing them and see all the different colours, you get hooked.” She started with “a couple of dozen” in 1959, and has been growing them ever since. Her bulbs are now distributed throughout the country. This week Mrs Taylor has about 15,000 blooms ready for picking, and is preparing a display for the Gladioli and Summer Exhibition, to be held at the Horticultural Hall in the week-end. Mrs Taylor and her husband concentrate on about 200 specialised varieties. Mrs Taylor says there is no point trying to compete with the big commercial growers, and survives “by having varieties they don’t carry.” “We also carry a lot of New Zealand varieties that commercial growers don’t seem to have got on to yet.” As well as the large gladioli, she also grows miniatures. These can be the subject of. some aggravation. “I’m sick of being continually asked if they’re the big ones badly grown.” A man said of a recent display, “I do better than this in my garden.” When he was shown the big ones, however, he changed his mind. “Miniatures are popular with people who want them for showing, and because they’re easier to stand in vases,” said Mrs Taylor. This season has not been particularly good for the blooms, big or miniature, as “the weather hasn’t been too good.” Recent nights have been warmer, however, and “it should come right now.” Mrs Taylor will prepare a big display for the week-end’s show, and exhibit in six classes.