Glad Tidings

I love gladiolus. I freaking adore them. I grow them by the hundreds. I cut armloads of them and fill vases with them. Now, I know what you are thinking. For real, I do, because I spend a lot of my time giving talks to garden clubs, plant societies and horticultural conferences. The audience is always with me until I mention my deep love for gladiolus. Mention the word, and I know what I’m going to hear: 80 percent of the people say, “Ugh, they’re such funeral flowers;” 15 percent say, “Tired old grandma flowers;” and 5 percent come up to me and confess, in a low whisper, that they love gladiolus too.

So, for the 95 percent of you