Spring Fever

I was looking around the Dutch Gardens website, searching out my yearly gladiola bulbs, and I saw the gorgeous Blueberry Sundae Daylily (First pic). I’ve never seen a color quite like that in a daylily. Lovin’ it.

I also had to throw in the Picasso Calla Lily (Second pic) - Callas are absolutely stunning in patio planters - especially with Sweet Alysum planted around the bottom.

But the star of our yard (besides our cats, of course) is always the glads. If you’ve never planted gladiolas before, you really should give them a shot this year. If you time it right and plant a grouping each week, you’ll have a beautiful glad bed all summer and into the fall. You’ll absolutely fall in love with how they make your yard more colorful and gorgeous, but what you’ll love the most is what remarkable cut flowers they make. I promise you, these flowers are addictive.

I actually came upon them by accident. I had always been a huge fan of Irises (still am!) and I was given a sack full of bulbs once by a new neighbor. (She had brought like a million from her old yard) She threw in a few glad bulbs amongst the Irises she gave me. I’d never paid much attention to glads, but since she was sweet enough to share, I planted them next to my beloved purple and white Irises.

I was kind of surprised to end up loving the glads even more! They’re every bit as beautiful and last much longer. Plus, like I said, they make incredible cut flowers for the home - AND if you lie them out to dry, they make really nice (but fragile) dried flowers.

I really wish someone would come up with irises that last longer - tulips, daffodils and hyacinths too, for that matter!

Okay, I realize this is a food blog - and I’m kind of off topic here - but spring, bulbs and flowers are huge obsessions for me and I’m starting to have trouble containing myself!

Next post - food related, I swear….on my glad bulbs!

Joi