Gladiolus

Hey there, Gardener! Ready for the easiest planting job ever? After the threat of frost is over and the soil has warmed, take your bag of bulbs out to the garden, and find a sunny spot where your Glads can grow tall. Dig a hole for each bulb about 4-6" deep and plant your Gladiolus corms with the pointy end up, 4-6" apart. Fill in the soil and lightly compress. Water them. Ta da! That's it.

Gladiolus will be very glad indeed in a place that gets full to part sun, in well-drained, fertile soil. Gladiolus work nicely planted behind your shorter, bushier plants. Water regularly once they start to sprout, and then give them extra water during dry spells.

Glads bloom in summer, about 90 days after planting. Gladiolus bloom once a season for about 10 days. Stagger planting every 1-2 weeks for continuous summer bloom time. Make it a weekly ritual. Bring a tasty beverage out to the garden on Friday evenings and plant a bulb or two. It's scientifically proven (probably) to be good for your mental health.

Stake 'em up to support those vertical blooms! Wait for the foliage to wilt and turn yellow before clipping it back, so that the bulb can preserve energy for the next year. In places with mild climates, generally zones 8-10, Gladiolus are tender perennials and can stay in the ground to return next season, but in places with freezing winters they are annuals. After your first frost, you can dig up, dry, and store your corms in a cool, dark place to replant the following spring.