Gladiolus

Gladiolus meaning for August-born people

The gladiolus stands up straight, blooms in sequence and keeps going. That makes it a good portrait of August people: strong-willed, sincere and capable of long efforts without losing their shine. Most garden gladioli descend from species native to southern Africa, bred in Europe from the 19th century into the tall, many-coloured hybrids florists sell today.

The flower has a theatrical side too. It became a signature prop of the comedian Barry Humphries’ Dame Edna, who waved gladdies at audiences, and it has long been a favourite of summer flower shows, where long spikes are judged like athletes.

Gladiolus colours and their meanings

• Red: love and passion. It’s the “you pierce my heart” reading at full volume.
• Pink: compassion, femininity, a mother’s love.
• White: purity and innocence. It’s often used in weddings and in memorial arrangements.
• Yellow: cheer and friendship.
• Purple: grace and dignity.
• Orange and salmon: warmth and sympathy, a gentle, sunny middle ground.

Giving gladioli: occasions and etiquette

Gladioli suit milestone moments: a promotion, a finished degree, a long-awaited recovery, a colleague’s leaving party. Their upright shape reads as respect. Because the stems are tall, three, five or seven are usually enough, and an odd number keeps with Russian custom. Wrap them tall in paper rather than cutting them down, and warn the recipient they need a heavy vase.

In large arrangements gladioli are sometimes used at funerals, so for a birthday choose bright colours and pair them with summer garden flowers instead of white alone.

How to care for cut gladioli

1. Buy spikes with the lowest one to three florets showing colour. The rest will open in the vase over a week or more.
2. Recut the stems and remove lower faded florets each day. Snapping off the top two or three buds helps more of the spike open.
3. Keep the stems upright, even in the car. Laid flat, they bend towards the light and the tips curve permanently.

In the garden, plant corms in spring after frost, in full sun, 10 to 15 cm deep, and stake tall varieties. In cold climates, lift the corms in autumn, dry them and store them frost-free for next year.

An August ritual: one floret at a time

Buy a single spike at the start of your birthday week. Each morning a new floret opens. Name one thing you’ve achieved slowly, step by step, rather than in one burst. By the time the top buds open, you have a week of evidence that steady effort works. August’s stone is the bright-green peridot. September belongs to the starry aster.