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The
Nanus and Colvillii ornamental species offer a lot of
possibilities. This species, with it's beautifull colours,
does not only give the garden an extra accent, it also makes
an excellent cut flower from the garden or the greenhouse. The
flower-period of the Nanus is from 1 June untill far into
September and lasts for approximately 3 to 4 weeks. In the
greenhouse, the flower-period will begin sooner. It will start
at the end of April. The different species are available from
15 August to 1 May, both for the summer- and the
springmarket.
The Nanus is
part of the Gladiolus -family and is commonly known as
"swordlillie". The name Gladiolus comes from the latin
"gladius", meaning sword, hence also the name "gladiators"
meaning "swordfighters". There are approximately 140
species. The most widely known species in Europe are the
Gladiolus Byzantinus and Communis, which bloom in June and
sometimes Juli. A little later blooms the Nanus Colvillii and
the Gladiolus Nanus. The word "Nanus" means "small", meaning
that the Nanus is actually a small Gladiolus. It grows to be
approximately 40 to 70 cm tall. The flowers grow in
loose spikes and usually have a diameter of up to 4 cm with
narrow,
sword-shaped leaves and flat corms.
Early
blooming Gladiolusses can be planted in autumn, however, they
are not completely safe from frost and covering them with
leafs or turf may be necessary. The planting depth should be 8
cm and the plants should be 10 cenimeters apart. Another
option is to store them in a cool environment and plant them
in the early spring.
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source:
unigarden.com
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