Gladioli
Gladioli: Sowing, planting and harvest calendar
Gladioli belong to the genus Gladiolus in the iris family, Iridaceae. They are herbaceous perennials with an underground storage organ, familiar for upright foliage and long flower spikes. Large garden hybrids are particularly well known in summer borders and bouquets. The genus also includes species and horticultural groups with more slender outlines and different flowering seasons. Much of its diversity is associated with African species, with different forms offering distinctive garden characters.The storage organ is a corm: a swollen stem base, different from a true bulb made of fleshy scales. It carries the plant through a resting period and supports renewed growth. The long, narrow leaves stand in upright fans. Their blade-like shape suggests a sword, explaining the common name sword lily. The leaves provide a vertical texture even before the flower stem develops. The reserve structure and the visible foliage are distinct parts of the seasonal plant.Flowers are arranged…
