Gladiolus Atom is HOT! HOT! HOT!

Gladiolus ‘Atom’ ZOWIE! This is one dazzling Gladiolus! I remember helping my grandmother cut huge bouquets of these from her garden. Yet I was never a fan of “glads”. For some reason they always reminded me of funerals. My ‘cold shoulder’ melted when I saw a photo of Gladiolus ‘Atom’ in a magazine. Last winter I ordered some bulbs from Old House Gardens and my love affair began. They just started into full bloom and the neighbors have quickly noticed! ‘Atom’ gets about 3’ tall and blooms much longer than many gladiolas. It is hardy in Zones 8 – 10 but there have been reports of these wintering over even in Zone 6. Of course you can always harvest them before a frost, remove the foliage, allow the corms to air dry for a few days, and then store in a cool, dry place until replanting the following year. For more details about harvesting and storing corms, check out this page on Old House Gardens’ web site. (I just took this picture in my garden. Hydrangea ‘Quick Fire’ is in the background)