“If only I had more sun in my yard, I would plant—” This thought passes through my mind each morning as I stand, hose in hand, surveying my poor garden. Well, there would be more tomatoes and green beans, of course, because the few I have now don’t provide enough to feed me and the ravenous squirrels, chipmunks, and raccoons (oh, did I forget the bunnies?). There would probably be more roses, because I will never have enough roses to satisfy my senses, and I would definitely include more plants to attract butterflies and hummingbirds. But during late summer when everything is looking anemic, I would love to have an entire bed of colorful gladiolas. They’re popular cut flowers, and easily found in grocery stores this time of year, but I don’t often see them in neighborhood gardens. Grown from corms, each showy spike holds a dozen blossoms that open in sequence from bottom to top. They grow in wonderful saturated shades, ranging from yellow to deep purple, and they last for days in a vase. I grew them years ago (when I had more sun), but since they’re not winter hardy in this climate, I had to dig them up every fall and store them. As I think of this, I remember that I used to forget to dig them up so they would never grow back! I’d have to go out and buy more corms, which may be why I stopped growing gladiolas. I guess I can't blame the lack of sun, after all.