Early Flowering Kinds

From the Victorian Gardener

Early-Flowering Kinds - During the past few years the early-flowering Gladioli have become popular on account of their great value for cutting. These, the dwarfer kinds, are, moreover, much the hardiest, and beds of them may be left unprotected during winter, so as to afford early flowers for cutting, for unless the weather is very severe, these beds never require any covering. This remark applies only to bulbs established in the ground, for fresh bulbs are as tender as other Gladioli, and must be protected from frost. Amateurs often make a mistake in this matter. Many plants are hardy only after they are well established. G. Colvillei is one of the prettiest and hardiest of all, and is most valuable for cutting, particularly the white variety, which has many beautiful white flowers in early summer. The time of flowering depends upon the time of planting, but the dwarf sections are the earliest. If the varieties of G. ramosus are planted at the same time as the dwarfs, the dwarfs are in flower a fortnight before the others.

These early-flowering kinds are of simple culture, and succeed best in well-drained raised beds of good loamy soil, in a sunny position.

Another interesting race of hybrids has lately been obtained between G. gandavensis and G. purpureo-auratus, a Cape species, with yellow and purple flowers. These hybrids have large flowers of a creamy-white and a deep purplish-crimson. The named kinds are G. hybridus Froebeli, G. h. Lemoinei, and Marie Lemoine. Although by no means so showy as many others, they are most graceful and distinct in port, and in the shape and color of their flowers. In deep sandy soil they attain a height of nearly 5 feet, and the gradual development of the flowers renders them effective for at least five weeks after the first and lower-most blossom.

G. Princeps is the latest gain amongst the hybrids of garden value. Its flowers of crimson-scarlet are intense in color, of great size, and fine form. The brightness of the flower is relieved by touches of white, or frequently by a white stripe across the centre of the lower petals, which are very full and rounded. It flowers late in August and September, when other kinds are on the wane. Though expanding in slow succession, and never having more than three or four blooms open at the same time, the size and quality of its flowers do much to make up for this.

A few of the wild species almost equal the hybrids in beauty. One of the finest is G. Saundersi, about 2 feet high, with large flowers of a brilliant scarlet and a conspicuous pure white centre. It is not often grown, though hardy and of very easy culture, and only requiring a sunny position in a light rich soil.

The European wild Gladioli are pretty plants for the mixed border. There is a strong similarity among them, being from 1 to 1 1/2 feet high, and all bearing rather small rosy-purple flowers. The best known are G. byzantinus, communis, segetus, illyricus, neglectus, serotinus. They like warm dry soil and a sunny situation. They are of particular interest from their free and hardy habit, which makes them as easy to grow as native plants. They are admirable for the wild garden, as they thrive in copses, open warm woods, in snug spots in broken hedgerow banks, and on fringes of shrubbery in the garden.

• Jasmine
• Garden Snakes
• Gardenia Plant Care
• Honeysuckle
• How to Build an Outdoor Fireplace

• Sword Lily
• Category:Bulbs
• Horned Poppy
• Paeony
• Bush Honeysuckle

• Boxwood Shrub Pictures
• Tree Identification
• Identifying Garden Pests