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My Feeling about Decorative Glads
~ Norma C. Spencer

There is currently much ado about the beautiful varieties of gladiolus described as "decorative." In his article "Decorative Glads Are WE Ready For Change" for Glad World (summer 2006), Lowell Dubbels, chairman of the Decorative Gladiolus Committee offered an interim definition: "A Decorative Gladiolus is a variety that's use is for beautification of landscapes and gardens, and is of size and proportion to be useful in beautifying the garden and the home in simple arrangements. It is unique in exhibiting outstanding beauty and appeal through various attributes such a vivid color and floret form combinations which would not detract from overall beauty. Other attributes would be moderate height, strong but graceful stems and good floret attachment to withstand adverse weather. In addition possess health and productivity making it useful to the commercial grower as well as the homeowner." In addition we hear all the time about more promotion of the gladiolus. I believe the less traditional gladiolus promote the gladiolus flower just as the more formal show spikes do. I wonder just how many growers just grow formal gladiolus to show them. I think it may be fewer and fewer who do just this.

We currently grow many varieties that I consider "decorative"; Red's Huckleberry, Wild Thing, Blueberry Wine, Candy Cane, Shadow Dancer, Elderberry Wine, Autumn Watercolor, Razzleberry, Chi-cha-ko, Raspberry Swirl, Chocolate Ripple, Deanna, Floret of Fern, Hot Lips, Jazz Age, Moon Shadow, Natasha, Ocean Ice, Randolph, Scintillating and the new Pandora's Box to name a few. The public rave about these varieties and we can't grow enough of them for our farm markets and roadside stand. These glads have built our reputation for a variety of "unusual" glads. I have tried to talk a customer into taking a Lady Lucille for her bouquet expounding on its great traits while I demonstrate that it will easily hold 12 open florets without a wilt and guess what? They may put it into their purchase probably to please me or even shut me up while all the rest of their bouquet is made of decoratives.

I have noticed is some show schedules that decorative gladiolus can be exhibited in classes such as "exotics," "novelty," "garden variety," or just "decorative." When we participate in shows we like to see the decorative varieties on display as well as the formal show spikes. Exhibitions of these glads bring up the controversial issue of how to judge them. I believe that the decoratives must be judged by the merit system and not according to the judging criteria used for formal spikes knowing that they do not most likely have the bud count or ability to hold enough open florets according to size as formal glads. We need to be fair to these decorative glads for they do contribute much to our shows. It looks to me to be too confusing for the modern gladiolus grower trying to promote the gladiolus to the public to go through a separate judging sheet, classification schedule and symposiums to accommodate the decorative glad when there aren't that many shows in the United States. Our purpose is not only self gratification by competing in shows but to mainly show the public who visit just how many different gladiolus there are available and that each in some way has a beauty and appeal to someone if not all who gaze upon them.

I would like to see every show incorporate a place for decorative glads and judge them as a decorative (not against formal guidelines). My feelings go as far as to think there should be a Champion decorative in the three sizes. I want the public to see all the colors, color combinations, lacination, ruffling and uniqueness that decoratives display. I will continue to show my decoratives in any way I can and keep our roadside stand full of their beauty.

~ Norma C. Spencer, member of 7 Gladiolus societies.