THE GLADIOLUS AS A GARDEN SUBJECT

Otago Daily Times, Issue 21734, 27 August 1932, Page 18

THE GLADIOLUS AS A GARDEN SUBJECT

Large-flowering gladioli are being used here and there to-day for bedding purposes or as borders along flower beds and lawns. This is as it should be (writes “Florius” in the Garden Lover). It is only a matter of time when the gladiolus will come into its own and be used for bedding purposes by the thousand. What matter if they fade and die after flowering? —we have seen their gorgeous and glorious beauty. You cannot have it both ways. The gladious must inevitably be recognised as the flower taking rank with the rose, or even higher, for the reason of its most marvellous and magnificently gorgeous beauty. They die after flowering, and no more flowers appear, say the critics. Well, what then? Plant a succession of. gladioli, plant them by , the hundreds, and if you have space, by the thousands, for they are worth it —gladioli, the flowers of wonderful gorgeousness,_ of marvellous and countless colour combinations.

A sight of a, mixed bed of gladioli in flower properly grown is one of the most pleasing sights in the world. Those of us who have seen the wild flowers of West Australia know how they were charmed with them. You may recall the miles of pink and white everlastings, the red and green kangaroo paws, the red and scarlet and pink and white gum trees a-flower in King’s Park, but give me for preference a bed of mixed gladioli in full bloom—the most gorgeous sight in the world. Tastes differ, no doubt, in flowers, but willy-nilly the gladiolus is bound for world popularity. There are many folk who grow the gladiolus, but who only know the exhibition types, and but few of the decorative varieties. What a pity that such should be the case. Let us grow all of the gladioli, or as many as possible that will display the beauties and charms and unique hues and colour combinations, that only the gladioli possess. And let us exhibit these decorative types of gladioli in our flower shows as a separate and distinct section of gladioli. The ladies know and appreciate the gladioli, as they do all flowers, and particularly do they appreciate decorative gladioli. Recently a new seedling gladiolus, among others, was espied in a bunch of gladioli by a lady friend of the writer. This was an uncommon brown red and blackish glad. Immediately this lady said she was charmed with it and wanted corms of them. In the gladioli are colours and hues that will satisfy every taste. Among the many decorative varieties of outstanding colour tone are Charlemagne, rose, ash, daintiness, owle, Bengal tiger, romance, Captain Brulot, Lieutenant Brulot (which is a smaller edition of the former), bullfinch curiosity, and tapestry. “ Prince of India ” is an extraordinary combination of orange buff, salmon, slate, etc., striped and mottled in an unusual way; lower petals orange crimson on a cream ground, with the outside of the petals margined French grey. This is a dwarf grower, but, nevertheless, it always attracts attention. “ Marmora ” is one of the best decorative gladioli.

Among other varieties which can be mentioned as leaders among the decoratives are John T, Pirie, mahogany brown with reddish brown blotches and cream throat, and gloxinia, which, very aptly named, resembles a gloxinia. This is in creamy yellow tones, and is blotched dark red on all petals. The above varieties are among the very best of the decorative gladioli of a unique character. Among the primulus gladioli unique kinds arc beginning to make their appearance. Rosemary is perhaps the most distinct and uncommon of all the gladioli. This resembles a piece of whitish print with tiny pink spots all over it. Golden frills is a beautiful ruffled primulinua variety. Sprague’s orchid resembles a lavender-hued orchid.

The above three primulinus gladioli are highly distinctive, and decorative. As time goes on maybe we will get polka spotted glads, or clearly defined striped ones, All sorts of possibilities loom up in the gladioli. GLADIOLI FOR BEDDING. To resume the • matter of bedding gladioli. The common red gladiolus is used for this purpose to-day, and looks well, say, along the edge of a lawn. If this variety could be the parent of a race as hardy as itself, what a longfelt want it would fill. The common red gladiolus flowers in winter, which is another consideration. As time goes on the gladiolus may even supplant the rose in the public popularity and esteem. Although the gladiolus has no scent, its, colour combinations have such stupendous compensations. Of course, the public have to learn to grow the gladiolus, and it is just as easy to grow them as the potato or onion. All you have to do is to plant them about three inches deep, water them, hoe them once a week, continue the water after they have flowered to mature the new corm, which grows on the top of the old one, and lift the corms up after they have matured and store them until you want to plant them again. What a simple thing to do! And once' the public sees the gladiolus in all its hues and colour combinations they will grow them and look after them as is necessary. The rows should be about 18 inches apart, and the plants in the rows about eight inches. Hoeing down the rows is one of the most important factors in the successful growing of gladioli. A good watering, followed by a good hoeing, is the keynote of success. It is easy enough to look after a hundred or a thousand glads. When they have finished forming their new corms, lift them up, put them in jam tins or kerosene tin to dry off, store them in a shed, and when dry put in paper bags on a shelf somewhere out of the wet.

All the world and his wife will do this and a lot more for the glad, when they see him in all his glory. When this time comes, when all the world grows the "lad. —a lot more reservoirs will be needed. And there is something in this statement, for the gladiolus is being grown everywhere today. The world-renowned Kunderd, one of the largest growers in the world, who has 400 acres devoted to the cultivation of the gladiolus in Indiana, says that the primulinus hybrids are his favourites among the gladioli. These arc beautiful glads., and are very popular as cut flowers. One of the best of the prim, glads, is Tangerine, raised in Australia by Scoft Morrison. This year promises to be a record year for gladioli planting in Australia. Garden lovers are beginning to find out that the gladiolus is a plant that they simply must have.