From the Archive

Garden Talk

Cecilia Cran is enjoying the change of season as she gets planting her gladioli to ensure a steady stream of colour right through the summer

What to grow

London is well and truly in bloom! I love this time of year – it’s when all the flowers have a chance to shine – bluebells offering carpet coverage, bushes of camellias and waves of cherry blossom, all signalling the end of spring and welcoming in the warmer, lighter summer months.

The Borough is waking from (what felt like a never ending) slightly monochrome spell. Flowers are appearing everywhere, announcing their arrival with bold scents and bright colours.

Thinking about colour – this month I’m focussing on getting my gladioli corms planted. I like to plant 8-10 bulbs every month, from May to July, this ensures I have a steady stream of flowers in the garden – known as ‘successional sowing,’ meaning I always have some to pick and put in a vase inside, and some to keep to add some height, texture and general interest in my thumbnail of the great outdoors.

Courtesy Cecilia Cran

How to grow

Gladioli corms can be planted directly in the ground in May, right through the summer months to the end of July. Gladioli like rich, well-drained soil, in a position of full sun shine, in a spot sheltered from wind.

To get started, I use a simple bulb planter to create a hole around 12cm-15cm deep and plant the corms around 10cm apart from one another. One of the many joys of glads is they don’t spread as much as other plants, instead they grow tall – some as high as 90cm+, depending on the variety you choose. Due to their height, consider adding stakes to provide support. Take care, to ensure you do not pierce and damage the corms, add the stake prior to adding the corm.

Unlike other corms or bulbs, it isn’t always as easy to tell which way they should be planted, if you look carefully you should see a slightly more pointed area. Ensure this is facing up towards the sky. Once in the hole, add soil and a rich mulch to feed it, water in well. When the flower spike begins to emerge from the ground, start to feed the plant with a tomato fertiliser every couple of weeks to encourage good growth. You can expect flowers to appear around 12-14 weeks after putting them in the ground.

Courtesy Cecilia Cran

Green escape

With summer fast approaching and the hours of sunshine increasing, I have been taking full advantage and making the most of the opportunity to explore some of my favourite haunts and far flung corners of the Borough.

One thing that has struck me as I amble along the Greenway, stroll through Central Park and wander across Wanstead Flats is the array of blossoms that are out. I can’t get enough of the cherry, apple and pear amongst others. They’re something else, when the wind catches them it creates a fabulous wave of colour.

I encourage you all to get out and see the last of the blossom in the Borough, it’s everywhere, bringing wonderful warm flashes of colour – pink, cream and purple. It’s quite the sight!


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