Two Hour Gardening Project: Stage 9 – Gladioli, Dahlias, and Lawn Care

Rare fortnight: much to learn, little to do. Plant gladioli (typical corm) with natural history notes. Stake dahlias. Lawn maintenance: fill hollows, flatten bumps.

Needs: 1 bag organic manure; 25 gladioli corms; 25 kg soilless mix; 12 French marigolds; twelve 90 cm canes; 1 pkt plant ties. Time: 2 hours in 2 weeks.

Early August Weather/Soil

Many plants past peak, but plenty coming. Cut back, liquid feed, water lavishly for second flush. 3 months to frost; soil warm for rapid germination.

Flower of the Fortnight: Dahlias

Spectacular, diverse: 23 cm–3 m tall, 2.5–30 cm flowers, petals spiked/rounded/fluted/scalloped, single/double, every rose color except true blue. Not modern—Mexican natives, sacred to Aztecs. Frost-tender: plant spring, lift fall, store dry peat/sand over winter. Start with bushy 90 cm pom-pom types.

Groundwork

Assess weed battle success. If weeds bother visually, hard weeding may be only solution. By summer's end you'll know your manageable area. Chemical weed control exists but less chemicals = better. Most weed/bug chemicals derived from nerve gases—respect them. More friends/foes: spiders eat enemies; worms aerate; all caterpillars = enemies.

Project Work: Gladioli; Corm Natural History; Staking Dahlias; Perfect Lawn

Gladioli (sword lilies—not lilies) = spectacular high/late summer. Hybrids from South African species (large); smaller types from Spanish cornfield weeds. Typical corms: underground storage organs. Food stored over winter fuels next year. Most frost-tender: lift, store dry frost-free. Some hardy—if left, they 'walk' (appear in new spots yearly).

Plant 3 per hole on soilless mix, cover with same. For good show: 4 holes, 30 cm diameter, 15 cm deep.

Dahlia staking: 1 plant per stake, or tripod with 3 plants—best massed show.

Lawn levels: eye-check or spirit level. Fill hollows: lever turf with spade, fill with soilless mix, replace, firm. Remove high points: lift grass, chop soil, replace. Hard lawns need aeration: fork 7–10 cm deep in straight rows, both directions. Or buy roller aerator.