Gladiolus! They leap like a row of frivolous exclamation points from the channel of earth beside my driveway shouting, “You’re Home!!!!!” I am ecstatic to see them, too. They were an impulse buy at the garden center two years ago. I was captivated by images of jewel-toned flowers spiraling up a slender stalk. I planted the bulbs where they catch runoff from a leaky hose and find that I rarely need to water them. After two springs, finally, they have opened into a whirl of flamenco dresses. They seemed to grow four feet overnight!
Gladiolus derives from the Latin for little sword, gladius. Think gladiator. They have long been used medicinally in Africa. Remedies listed by blackherbals.com suggest that they have the power to draw things out of the body. Various parts of the plant were used in childbirth and to relieve painful menstruation, diarrhea, constipation and aid the removal of splinters and thorns.
The plants are supposed to be prolific bloomers, and the cut stems are said to last up to two weeks in water. I am looking forward to a summer of these lovelies in my vase.
