The Glorious Return of Gladioli: A Timeless Garden Classic

Life has a funny way of going round in circles, fashions come and go….and then come back again.  We’ve all had that experience of seeing the latest ‘new trend’, and remembering when we were wearing it some twenty or thirty years ago.

Sometimes we are delighted to see something come back, other times not so much!  Horticulture is much the same, sometimes plants are super popular, the must-have perennial of the season, and then they totally fall out of favour just to make a massive come back a few years later.

Gladioli are one such plant. Quite the statement to have in the borders a few years back, Gladioli fell out of fashion for a while, which I never quite understood, but in recent years they’ve seen a revival and have regained their reputation as a much coveted garden essential!

Gladioli, or Sword Lilies as they are commonly known, hail from the sunny climes of South Africa and therefore love a bit of sunshine.  In exchange for a toasty spot in the garden they will reward you with the most glorious flower spikes which can either be enjoyed in situ or cut and bought indoors for simply stunning displays in the vase, there is a reason why florists love them so much!

Easy to grow and low maintenance there are only a few top tips to remember when growing these beauties:

• Select a sunny spot in the border
• Plant your corms 10-15cm deep
• In colder winters or locations corms should be lifted or mulched but in normal conditions they can be left in the ground to overwinter

And did you know; Gladioli were a favourite in Roman times with winning Gladiators being showered in them upon victory!

If you fancy giving these stunners a go this year, click here to check out our collection of three bi-colour varieties to bring some glamour to your garden this summer.