GOLDEN GARDENS GLADIOLUS 



CONCERNING THE ORIGIONAL GLADIOLUS 
Our colorful and popular groupe of large flowered gladiolus is distinctly a modern develope- 
ment. 
They are the result of a great deal of painstaking effort of plant breeders, from all parts of 
the world, over a long period of time. They have been derived from perhaps about a dozen 
different species of wild gladiolus originating in South Africa, where they are commonly called 
painted ladies, although there are known to be nearly two hundred species, some of which are 
native of Europe and Asia. 
Some of the members of this diverse group of ‘‘sword lillies’’ as they were called in the olden 
times, had their homes in the very cradle of civilization, Mesopotamia. From there they extended 
into the Mediteranian region and into southern Europe. Thus the gladiolus was well known to 
the people of Rome, Greece, and the Holyland, and were probably the lillies of the field referred to 
in the Bible. The main center of origin however was South Africa as is the case with so many of 
our other finer cultivated plants. 
The first gladiolus were brought to America before the revolutionary war, but it was not until 
after the Civil War that interest grew and hybridizing was begun. 
In 1887 over four hundred varieties of gladiolus were exhibited in Philadelphia at the Cen- 
tenial Exposition. 
Present day gladiolus are the result of the selection of a very few from countless millions of 
seedlings. One would hardly believe that our present day varieties of gladiolus came from the 
plants of a few decades ago. Viewing a grand champion bloom at one of our present day state 
gladiolus exhibitions one would perhaps believe that the evolution has reached its height but 
modern hybriaizers feel that they have only begun. One can hardly imagine what the future may 
have in store; what new colors, as a real ‘“‘blue”’ for instance. What new forms can we expect, 
perhaps some like cups, others like saucers. Some double like a rose, some with spurs like colum- 
bine, some shaped like butterflies, or some like orchids. One can hardly conceive the gladiolus of 
the future. 
From the four corners of the Earth have come the contributions to our modern gladiolus. 
Following are some of the chief contributors. 
LEMOINE—France. Who did much of the early work in developing the modern gladiolus, 
noted for breeding blotched varieties. 
KELWAY—England. Noted for developing vigor and strength in gladiolus. 
PFITZER—Germany. Noted for his violet and blue varieties. 
ErRrEyY—Australia. Noted for developing size. Big gladiolus. 
IKUNDRED and PRESTGARD—United States. Developed rutfled varieties. 
PALMER—Canada. Picardy ... That world famous variety, the progenitor of so many of 
our new modern varieties of gladiolus, as well as a number of very fine mutants, or sports. 
In our great land of scientific research the plant breeders of our beloved United States are 
now in the lead. 
Picardy, introduced in 1931, has been the parent of many fine varieties of gladiolus such as 
ABEGAIL, -GENERAL DOUGLAS MacARTHUR, JOURNEY’S END, SIEVERSS TAR 
SPOTLIGHT, SUNSPOT, etc. and such wonderful Picardy sportsas LEADING LADY, SILVER 
WINGS, LADY LUCK, SPRINGTIME, KELSEY, BERNADETTE, >] PROSPER isis 
BRANDYWINE, EASTERN STAR, WESTERN STAR, and others. 
It was the variety Picardy that threw the national spotlight of garden interest on the gladiolus. 
It was Picardy that helped make the gladiolus our national tlower. It also helped make the million 
dollar gladiolus industry of Florida, and enhanced the interest generally in gladiolus as a com- 
mercial flower. 
COLOR SPORTS OF GLADIOLUS 
When you purchase any variety that has originated as a color sport such as the above named 
sports, you must expect to find from time to time, plants that are identical in color to that of the 
parent variety, from which it is the offspring, or sport. Many of our modern gladiolus varieties 
produce color sports. I grow at least 25 different color sports of the variety Picardy. These color 
sports of Picardy are more or less the same as the parent except coloring. There are but few radical 
differences, although some seem to inherit even better qualities than the parent, and produce better 
more disease resistant varieties, others seem to produce somewhat larger spikes with larger florets, 
while some are a trifle smaller than the parent. However, for this reason you must expect to find 
identical Picardy plants in bloom in any variety of Picardy sport. Some sports produce more of 
the original and some less. I have seen them with half the florets on the spike ‘‘white’’ and half 
the color of the original Picardy. I have also seen florets with half the petals white and half the 
color of the original Picardy. Seedlings do not revert to the parent color, but sports do revert. 
Therefore you may find some few identical Picardy when your Picardy sports bloom, as all Picardy 
sports will occasionly produce Picardy. This may be the answer to the ever popular question, 
“Do gladiolus reverte” If-sports ....“Yes:” li seedlings 77 > “Nos: 




‘‘Golden Gardens Glads Grow Gloriously’’ 
