They're perennial here, so if you don't want them after the first year, you'll be ripping them out for the next 5. I know you have full sun, so that's a plus, but honestly they will flop if they don't have something to lean on. They will probably tilt even if they do have something to lean on. I buy glads at the grocery store for bouquets. They are just too messy for the garden. But you are landed, so perhaps can find the right spot without sacrificing serious gardening space.

Just plant them. No care required.

Oh, dang, I dug them mine out last year, didn't realize they could be left in. They're going in and staying in!!

Christine, just plant them, they'll either grow or they won't ;-) but I planted mine in May last year and they bloomed. They were against the garage wall (near the nandina and hydrangea) so they didn't get quite enough sun. They'll be going in the ground this weekend and staying there, whoo-hoo!!

Oh, the voles might have eaten a couple of them, but I think I just didn't find them when I dug them out.

I was at the hardware store on old 450 in Bowie yesterday, they have a nice selection of bulbs and seeds. I love hardware stores... you never know what sort of gadget you'll end up with!

I think I planted mine about 6 inches apart but i just tossed them down and then dug holes, since I had limited space where they were going..

Lynne

Here is a link that might be useful: this looks useful. I wouldn't have thought of spacing them out..

They are perennial, up to a point. Each year the new corm forms on top of the old corm, so eventually they will work their way to the surface and may not make it through a hard winter. What I do is dig out my whole patch every 3-4 years and replant the biggest corms about 4-5 inches deep. I just dig a huge trench all at once, sift through the dirt to find the corms, and then replace them and fill the whole thing back in.

In addition, you will get hundreds of baby corms that take several years to get large enough to flower, so yes, they can take over an area somewhat.

People who are really anal about glads will plant a group of corms every two or three weeks in order to have something flowering constantly throughout the summer. If you leave them in they tend to flower more or less during a one month period.

Larry

www.gladworld.org. Steve in Baltimore County.

I had no idea these were so indestructable. I know Steven's a prize winning Glad Grower, but wow.

I thought these were somewhat delicate like dahlias. I was surprised that in a spot where I planted 8 bulbs last year, of which only 4 grew (voles), this year in 2 places I seem to have a whole crop o'sprouts.

Cynthia, thanks for the heads-up on flopping. I plan ahead for that. My echinacea flop so I grow them through peony hoops. My peonies don't flop. Go figure.

I might try spacing the planting out, too. Interesting idea! But.. next year, if the voles don't get 'em, won't they bloom at the same time? I think that's a "duh" question, but you never do know.

Thanks, guys!
Christine

I was gonna say... Steve is the ribbon winner so ask him, but you beat me to it, Christine.
I have glads in my yard as well and I just use slender green dowels/garden stakes to keep them upright. If you plant them close enough, you can't see the stakes. Tie them up with green twine.
I have cats that love to dig them up, but I just push them down again and add a bit of new soil over them when needed and they are good to go for the next year.