I’m feelin’ (boom boom) glad all over
Yes, I’m-a (boom boom) glad all over
Baby, I’m (boom boom) glad all over
So glad you’re mine
from ‘Glad All Over’, Dave Clark Five 1964 ( boom boom representing the base beat)
You may have spotted a couple of spikes of gladioli in yesterday’s End of Month View – no longer spottable because they have been picked for today’s vase, as had been planned when I first spotted the emerging spikes myself. Having periodically planted gladioli but with no success, with a cheap pack of bulbs (Gladiolus ‘Traderhorn’) from Aldi I had little to lose – but nevertheless was still surprised to see some of them growing. Admittedly there are no more than half a dozen out of a pack of 25, but hey ho, beggars can’t be choosers. Sadly, they are not the scarlet the pack promised, but more of a deep coral…
I have not used the ikebana vase (from Chive) the gladioli are displayed in before, mainly because when it came it was larger than I expected, and somehow ugly, like a white ceramic slipper, but as long as I don’t look at it from above perhaps I can forget about that during the life of the contents. Joining the gladioli, I amused myself by choosing a double stem of Echinops ‘Arctic Glow’, reminiscent of drumsticks, and to complement the ‘red’ and white, thought I may as well throw in some blue too, this time Limonium ‘Seeker Pastel Blue’. The vase may not have the same finesse as those by some of our more accomplished IAMOV arrangers, but nonetheless I am fairly pleased with it in my own way, just wondering perhaps if I could have cut everything a bit shorter…?
You will struggle to see the prop in the first photo, but it is a little pin badge of a drumkit, a gift at the time I was learning to play drums, perhaps 15 years ago, following a conversation with a colleague who had booked flying lessons because it was something she had always wanted to do – I did the same with drum lessons, and played for my own amusement for 3 or 4 years.
IAVOM contributions, with or without admissions of long-held desires, are always welcome – just leave the usual links.
Rambling in the Garden 
You should be pleased. Very lovely Cathy! The gladiolus is a star–I like the color. Thanks so much for hosting us each week. https://pbmgarden.blog/2022/08/01/in-a-vase-on-monday-natures-pulse/
Thanks Susie – there is a hint of ‘red’ on the other 2 spikes, so hopefully they will open out too
Given the size of the vase, I’m not sure cutting the flower stems shorter would have resulted in a better arrangement – I like this a lot! Possibly because we both have Gladioli today! I also started mine from an inexpensive pack from a big box store. They do well in our soil and frequently one or two will survive our winters.
I think I am just not used to creating tall or wide vases, Chris! I have no expectation of the gladioli here coming through the winter here, but who knows? Stranger things have happened!
I like this. Title and vase. That song will be floating around in my head for the rest of the day. Gladiolus are a disaster here. Some fungus thing. The vase is cool, though I see your slipper dilemma, one of those things that sticks in your mind. Does it have a built in frog to hold the flowers?? Here is mine this Monday https://theshrubqueen.com/2022/08/01/in-a-vase-on-monday-time-in-a-bottle-2/
Thanks Amelia, and no, no frog – I hd to use one of my own and stick it down with florists’ ‘bluetack’. The Gladioli stems were still relucant to stay at the angle I had placed them though…
Hmm, for some reason I thought those types of vases had built in frogs. I find it difficult to arrange those angles..I think I am a plonker at heart.
I suppose I would have expected it to as well – but perhaps it didn’t call it an ikebana vase. I am definitely a plonker ((but with a bit of tweaking) at heart too, Amelia!!
We are tweaking plonkers? That sounds odd.
I’m singing “Glad All Over,” too. I like the way you’ve combined elements in your very unique vase. (I like it, as well!) Thanks for hosting. https://plantpostings.blogspot.com/2022/08/cut-flowers-aplenty.html
Thank you Beth – I think there are probably worse earworms!
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Hi Cathy, I’m so glad that you are glad all over. Isn’t that something especially in today’s world?! Your ikebana arrangement is very pretty. Monsieur is a drummer too and your revelation surprised me or rather not because you’re full of surprises which is nice. 😁 In spite of the heat I’m contributing today, great fun as usual: https://personaleden.wordpress.com/2022/08/01/in-a-vase-on-a-monday-cool-calm-and-collected/ Have a good week x
Good to hear from you and have an IAVOM contribution again, Annette 👍 60s lyrics were so much simpler and singable too, even if we didn’t always get the words right!
The drum pin is there and I love the color of the Glad..I should plant some myself.
I love the very idea of you playing drums, Cathy! Do you still have them? The coral gladiola is striking and nicely enhanced by its companions.. I pulled my gladiolas last year and then completely forgot about the bag of bulbs I’d intended to plant this year so all I got was a couple of strays from the crop I thought I’d dug out. I find I’ve missed them and plan to be more mindful next year 😉 Here’s my post: https://krispgarden.blogspot.com/2022/08/in-vase-on-monday-mismatched-companions.html
I have kept all my drumsticks and brushes (I found I particularly enjoyed playing along to the older blues music), Kris, but sold my drum kit some years ago. Do you need to lift your gladioli, or is it a space in the ground issue?
No, the glad bulbs son’t have to be lifted in my climate; however, they do pose a space issue in my cutting garden’s raised planters.
A red blue and white affair, and given the size of gladioli, very striking. Here is my brief contribution:https://noellemace.blogspot.com/2022/08/in-vase-on-monday-182022.html
I was actually surprised how ‘small’ the gladioli were, Noelle, and was expecting something a little taller!
Groan… thanks (not) for the earworm Cathy! I’m keeping my eye on the only glads I grow – Gladiolus Murielae – which despite having 10 bulbs in two pots has only ever produced one or tow flowers each year! I keep thinking I will chuck them, but the strappy leaves are quite nice and I suppose I keep thinking “next year”
There are worse earworms, Jude,I think!! 😁 Not sure if I will try the gladioli again either – I suppose £1.69 is worth the risk for a possible few blooms…
My feet will be tapping all night Cathy 😂 If my memory serves me right there was some concern at venues where the group played that number that floors might be at risk of caving in as a result of over exuberant foot tapping and stomping. A cheery glad indeed. My glads at the allotment and in a raised bed would sometimes come through the winter.
Haha – I can imagine that might be the case, Anna! 🤣
Ours did well this year, and some of the latest are just now finishing. It seems late for them. It is weird that only a few of the several that were planted a few years ago were perennial enough to bloom for a second year, and even less bloomed for the thirs year, but then more bloomed for the fourth year. It is as if the hardiest ones are multiplying.
Sounds logical, Tony – all the same colour perhaps?
No; which makes it even stranger. One type is a nice purple. Another is a nice orange. A third is a common pink. They live in separate locations. They multiplied with a few pups each at first. Then, a few pups of the orange and pink bloomed red or yellow. Both the orange and pink generated the same red or yellow pups! It is totally weird.
Gladioli season already. Goodness, what happened to July?! A lovely arrangement Cathy. I like the look of Arctic Glow.
I have no idea what would be normal for gladioli. And yes, we seem to have rather carelessly lost July somehow (probably when we were hibernating due to the heat!)… Are we allowed to send seeds now? I am never very sure – or could I send some to your parents? It’s intriguingly different from blue varieties, isn’t it?
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Hello Cathy. I love your bright and cheerful gladioli. I’ve some butterfly types in my arrangement today. Also using the echinops which is one of the few flowers to survive the heat here. All looking very scorched I’m afraid. Anyway here’s my rather late contribution https://bramblegarden.com/2022/08/04/flowers-in-memory-of-joan/
Thanks Karen. I noticed that a different gladiolus that has never flowered before has got a spike coming – must be the weather! So many things have suffered but some hopefully just temporarily. Sorry to be late in replying – I tend to have a break after the Monday rush is over!
Thank you Cathy. I picked two blue gladioli flowers this morning. Everything else in the garden is dust, but the summer bulbs seem to keep coming. I’m sure when we have some rain, some of the plants will have a second summer. Or an early autumn show. If not, there’s always next year. That’s the beauty of gardening, there’s always another season to come.
It’s reallu interesting to see what has still done well this summer, isn’t it?