The name gladioli comes from the Latin word meaning sword because of the shape of the stiff sword-like leaves of the plant.
Historically, there are early mentions of the plant, also referred to as “cornflag,” being a weed in European cornfields. In England, a native species grew only in the New Forest and the Isle of Wight. Gladiolus was first mentioned in England in 1578 in the garden list of William Mount. In 1597, Gerard wrote about two European species that were used as a poultice to draw out splinters and thorns from flesh.
By the early 1600s, glads were being grown in gardens in England, and by the 1700s, glads were being imported to England and were quite common, with new species arriving frequently from South Africa. New varieties were also bred in both France and Germany in the 1800s.
In 1907, an American called Mr. Kundera developed the first glad with ruffled edges.
The variety Gladiolus primulinus from Victoria Falls, Mozambique is also called “Maid of the Mist.” Its hooded petals were thought to have evolved originally to protect the stamens and pistil from the spray from the falls. The yellow and orange colors of the glads we have today came from the genetic legacy of the “Maid of the Mist.”
3 Sept 2026
Hummingbird Mint
Agastaches belong to the mint family, and, as a result, they all have square stems. They also have aromatic leaves and clusters of small flowers.
Commonly called Mexican hyssops, they can be perennial but only a few are hardy as far north as zones 4 and 5. The tender species are grown as annuals in the north and are perennial in the south.
Hyssops are easy going and make few demands. They grow in full sun or light shade and spread to make 2-3 foot clumps. Divide them in the spring, and they bloom all summer long delighting the hummingbirds but fortunately not the deer.
There is a lovely gold-orange variety Agastache ‘Kudos Gold’ and a salmon-orange with rose and purple called ‘Apache Sunset’, and there is a more compact variety ’Little Adder’(zones 6 to 9) featuring spires of lavender and purple flowers on each stem.
All hummingbird mints are upright in form and bloom all summer long. The bees, as well as the hummingbirds, enjoy them, and they are carefree and drought resistant once established. The flowers make welcome additions to bouquets, but the plants need good drainage.
These are good plants for an informal colorful, easy-care planting that will show up well from a distance.
23 Jul 2026
Woodland Poppy
Stylophorum diphyllum is our native celandine poppy that grows well in dappled shade in woodland conditions.
It has cheerful yellow flowers and hairy seed pods. There are also two other woodland poppies that are native to China. All three species prefer moist soil and self-sow. They bloom in spring and intermittently into summer.
Wordsworth even wrote a poem about this unassuming charmer:
"Long as there’s a sun that sets,
Primroses will have their glory;
Long as there are violets,
They will have a place in story:
There’s a flower that shall be mine
‘Tis the little celandine.
Comfort have thou of thy merit,
Kindly, unassuming spirit!
Careless of thy neighborhood,
Thou dost show thy pleasant face
On the moor, and in the wood,
And in the lane; there’s not a place
However mean it be,
But ‘tis good enough for thee."
Wordsworth obviously was as impressed with this versatile plant as we still are today.
It is wonderful in shade gardens with companions such as forget-me-not, pulmonaria, ferns, bleeding heart, Virginia bluebells and other wild flowers.
Reach and audience
Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.
Apple Podcasts (US)
5.0 / 5
7 ratings
Spotify
5.0 / 5
2 ratings
Podcast Authority Score: 56 / 100
A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.
Quality
99
Social presence
0
YouTube
0
Engagement
32
Contact Focus on Flowers
Guest appearances
Books guests
Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.
Pod Engine is an independent podcast discovery and analytics service and is not affiliated with or endorsed by this podcast. Artwork and show content belong to their owners. Full legal notice.
Explore this show Podcast research with Pod Engine
