The Golden State: Where & How to Live, Secure, Visit, Enjoy and Thrive in California

Small Home Landscaping

Once planted, lilies must not be disturbed for several years. They need a well dug soil. But, it is more important that the soil be well drained, than that it be rich. Bulbs of lilies vary in size. Some are no bigger than a tulip bulb, others are as large as a large apple. They differ from other bulbs in that they are composed of overlapping scales and, incidentally, are easily injured.

Tender Bulbs

Gladiolus are planted in spring. They flower some weeks later but. unlike the hardy bulbs, gladioli are dug up in autumn in cold regions and stored over winter. They are roughly classed as early, mid-season and late flowering. Early varieties flower some sixty to seventy-five days after planting. Midseason varieties between this and one hundred days, and late varieties over one hundred days.

You can select varieties from each class and plant all at the same time. This gives a succession of flowers. Or, you can select the early varieties and plant a few every ten days to two weeks. This, too, will give a succession of flowers. Just when the last planting is done depends upon the regions.

Another type called miniature gladioli has smaller flowers, shorter stems and small bulbs. These are excellent for the small garden and do not need supports. The bulbs, correctly called corms, are planted four to six inches deep. If they are grown in rows, open a drill with a hoe, set the corms four inches apart, then draw the soil over the corms. If set in groups in a flower border, plant them with a trowel.

Gladioli like a loose, rich soil and plenty of water when they are growing. When the tops are above the surface, sprinkle a 5-10-5 fertilizer along the rows or around the groups and wash it in with water from a hose.

When cutting flowers, don't remove all the leaves. These are needed to feed new corms for the following year. When the old leaves turn brown in autumn, or if killed by frost, the corms are carefully dug. New corms form on top of the old ones you planted. These are removed and the old corms discarded. Along with these will be numerous little pea-like bulbs. These are cormlets. Planted the following year they will develop and eventually reach flowering size.