August - Gladiolus and Poppy
Gladiolus
Not only are Gladiolus the birth flower for the month of August, but they are also the flower to send to anyone celebrating their fortieth wedding anniversary.
Available in a wide variety of colors they make the perfect backdrop for your flower beds as they grow tall and upward. There are over 300 species of the Gladiolus which make it near impossible to pick a favorite.
The flowers grow from corms, which are an underground plant stem. They grow into spikes which have a one sided flower. This and the fact that they are perfect for cut arrangements means that they are utilized in many standing tall flower arrangements.
Take care to make a sharp cut on the tubular stem you don't want to crush the stem. It needs to be able to pull the water up.
Poppy
The Red Poppy flower is used during Memorial Day in remembrance of our fallen soldiers. This practice started after WWI because of the trench battles in fields that were loaded with Poppies. Today it is customary to wear a paper Poppy on one's lapel on Memorial Day. The Poppy also comes in a variety of colors and petal sizes. The seeds from the Poppy are used in many baked goods. Poppies bloom from spring to early summer.
