Peacock Orchid/Absyyinian Glad
At the Pearl Farmer’s Market this last Saturday a lot of people were interested in our Peacock Orchids. Peacock Orchids, otherwise known as Absyyinian Glads, are really gladioli. The flowers look like they should be an orchid, hence one of the common names. These are a perennial glad in south Texas. They are also a very easy plant. Plant them in full sun to part shade (as low as 1 – 2 hours of sun). You can also plant them in large containers with other plants. They will come up in the spring, and the scapes should come up in the beginning of summer just like a regular glad. The scape will come up and then the flowers will open one by one. After it has flowered, you let it die back naturally over the summer. You can pull the foliage away to clean up the area when you can gently tug at the leaves and they pull away easily. Leave them alone and next spring they will reemerge with some new babies. Over the years they will continue to grow and you will have more blooms. If you want you can divide them, by simply digging them up, separating the corms, and replanting them. If you want to fertilize them – use a long term, slow release fertilizer, bone meal, or compost in the fall, in early spring, and/or just after they have finished blooming. You can also use liquid fertilizer (Hasta Gro, Miracle Gro, or Peters 20-20-20) or compost tea in the early spring and summer before they have bloomed. I think you will agree that Peacoc Orchids are an easy, carefree, and beautiful addition to your gardens.