Sunday, April 5, 2009

Byzantine Glads, etc...

Last fall I purchased some Byzantine Glad bulbs from the Southern Bulb Company. These were NOT cheap bulbs mind you, but I had a terrible time finding them anywhere for much cheaper, so I took the plunge and bought 3 bulbs (12 bucks a bulb - holy be-jeezuz!!). TOTALLY worth it!! These are bea-u-tiful!! Out of 3 bulbs, I got 5 big ol' bloom stalks in the first bloom since planting. Looky:



And closer:



I am absolutely loving these gladiolas. They are a wonderful magenta and they stand up all on their own - I don't need to stake them. I am so buying more of these next year. They are supposed to naturalize, but I am impatient, and I want more, right now. I saw some other on-line bulb stores had something they CALLED byzantine glads for super-cheap, but when I did the research, these turned out NOT to be the same thing - they are impostors. Still pretty, but much lighter in color and much, much smaller. Several people tried these ones and they were very tiny - not at all the same thing. You have to get the ones from Texas, NOT the imported ones. The imported ones are a different thing.

And other things going on in my garden...

The bees and butterflies are loving the Eve's Necklace blooms:



Funereal Duskywing:



Poppies:



Can you tell I love poppy-type flowers? Corn poppies, California poppies, yellow flax:



I planted my Texas bluebell starts around the fountain.I hear they do well around stock tanks and I thought, well I will plant them near the fountain then:



Hill country penstemon (Penstemon triflorus):



I planted my new tulips in the fountain flower bed also:



The Texas tuberose (Manfreda maculosa)are getting bloom stalks:



And a garden friend:

4 comments:

Karen - An Artist's Garden said...

Lovely to see your Glad. Byzantine - I planted these too - but mine are not up yet here :(
Such a great colour
K

Ralph said...

Do those glads come in any other colors than magenta? It's not my favorite color and hard to use with my garden palet.

Rock rose said...

Those glads are gorgeous. Not so tall and lanky like the big ones. Another plant on my must have list.

Lee17 said...

Thank you for your comments all!

Karen,

The byzantine glads turned out so fabulous I am going to buy more. Spendy little buggers though!

Ralph,

I believe the byzantine glads also come in a white 'Byzantine Alba' I think it is. I don't know where you would purchase those though.

Lancashire rose,

Yeah - the byzantine glads stand up all on their own - they didn't even get knocked over by any of our storms. I am amazed.