Tuesday, August 9, 2011

Glad All Over


I have never liked gladiolus. In fact, I have downright hated them at times. Surprised? Well, the thing is...I am terrified of spiders, and growing up, my family always told me that spiders breed in gladiolus. Or at the least that spiders are more attracted to them than other flowers. So this made me scared of them. But as an adult, I associate them with death, because they seem to be the main flower in funeral arrangements. Now tell me the truth, don't you think of funerals when you see these flowers? Tall stalks of death...Anyway, we have been passing by these a lot, and they are beautiful, so I finally gave in and snapped them. But the story is not the flowers, it is where we found them. We found them in our neighborhood mystery, a place that causes great puzzlement. But that is for tomorrow when I will show you where these are growing!! Perhaps you can even help solve the mystery!


"The ransomed of the Lord will return.
They will enter Zion with singing;
everlasting koy will crown their heads.
Gladness and joy will overtake them,
and sorrow and sighing will flee away."
Isaiah 51:11

32 comments:

From the Kitchen said...

Oh no! It is 10:35 p.m. and I just read your post and I won't sleep a wink until I find out where your mystery place is!! I'm not a big fan of gladiolas. However, it is carnations that remind me of funeral homes and funerals. It's the smell I'm sure. I am not afraid of spiders, In fact, I find them fascinating.

Best,
Bonnie

Shanda said...

Now I have to go check mine for spiders!!!

Reanaclaire said...

The color is so sweet and nice! I am not scared of spiders but of cockroach!
Have a nice day, Ginny!

SquirrelQueen said...

They are pretty in pink but they have never been a favorite of mine either. Maybe it is the funeral home association.

I love a good mystery! I can't wait to see your neighborhood mystery place Ginny.

LC said...

When I see these flowers I think of my mother because she loves them. I have had no success growing them. Looking forward to learning about 2 mysteries: your mystery place post and asking my mother why she loves gladiolas so much. Maybe because their unofficial moniker is so hsppy? Glads!

Karin said...

Oh, I love August's flowers - gladioli! My mom's birthday was in August and those beautiful flowers graced our home - they lasted so long because of the many blossoms on them - and mom would float the last ones in a bowl of water. I still remember when dad got her 75 - naturally for her 75th birthday! Mom loved it! I even had white glads as part of my wedding bouquet - along with yellow roses! They are such a strong and stately tall flower! The variety of colors is so amazing! No fear of spiders here - they cross my space, they're dead, LOL!

RoeH said...

I love gladiolas. But for some reason they always remind me of funerals. I think my mother thought gladiolas were the choice of flower at them --- or it was one funeral in Rigby, Idaho that cemented itself on the back burner of my brain. She always grew a lot of them.

Lisa @ Two Bears Farm said...

I've never heard that about the spider breeding before. Ick!

Beverly said...

I left a comment on your Facebook page.

MadSnapper said...

never heard that about spiders. mother used to grow them so they were common to me. they do make me think of funerals, because i went to every funeral in our church since daddy was the pastor and we had to go, so from age 8 until I got married at 19, i went to a lot of funerals and that is all that was there, Glads and roses. way back then that is what they used and carnations. when i smell carnations i think funeral, so i do not like carnations at all or roses all that much. i like wild flowers best of all. can't wait for the mystery

Tammy@Simple Southern Happiness said...

Boy GAL, that is some kind of pinkness you got going from header to post.
I am with you on how I see this flower but you have shown me a close up I have not seen before and I think I may change my way of thinking..

AND the plot thickens....

Remington said...

Beth here -- I didn't know that about Glads....good thing I am not afraid of spiders....now frogs -- that is a whole different story....funny how we can be scared of the smallest things just from a bad experience....

Stephanie V said...

These are lovely flower photos. Actually, I think of beauty pageants (from when I was a kid) and sometimes weddings. Never seen them at a funeral at all.

DawnTreader said...

I always liked these flowers, never associated them with spiders, and never with funerals and death either! If anything quite the opposite because as I recall they used to be in bloom in our garden around the time of my birthday (end of August).

Kim@stuffcould.... said...

I did not know gladiolus and spiders were together....I would not like that. They are beautiful however...

Anonymous said...

Hi Ginny, True confession huh? I never pegged you for a glad hater. Some people! Ha! Just teasing. I used to grow Glads at my recently former home in Southern California. Have a super day!

Ann said...

My mother used to plant gladiolas. They never would stay standing. they always ended up laying on the ground.
Now I'm curious about the mystery place

Reena said...

They are beautiful ... looking forward the mystery solved!

WebbieLady said...

Really? But is that true that spiders breed on them? And then death? Ahh, nothing worse can be associated to this flower then...:-)

Explorations, etc. said...

The spiders in your area must be deadly to give you all that fright... They are friendly where I grew so we played and catch them... thus, if we had the gladioli, we would have been so happy to catch breeding spidy in them...

Explorations, etc said...

The spiders in your area must be deadly to give you all that fright... They are friendly where I grew so we played and catch them... thus, if we had the gladioli, we would have been so happy to catch breeding spidy in them...

aspiritofsimplicity said...

I have never liked them either. I just happen to think they are ostentatious and sort of ugly. And, the remind me of funerals. That being said...the glads you photographed are an absolutely beautiful color.

George said...

I've never associated gladiolus with death. My mother always had glads in her flower garden when I was growing up. I grew them when I lived in Ohio, but we don't have any here. Your pictures show beautiful blossoms.

Ann, Chen Jie Xue ι™ˆζ΄ι›ͺ said...

what a nice name you have given to this flower, Glad all over." Reminds me of the other one, early cheer. I love your glad all over.

I came over from LV's sight. How correct you are. I don't bother with the mail box. Most of the nice things are from my computer.

The other day, I sent by snail mail a letter ( which I naughtily typed out and printed), then I had to buy an envelope and then to the post shop to buy a stamp.

How easy and lazy to just use email. LOL.

On the other hand, out TV reporter was commenting Jane Austin's hand written manuscript. I joked with my daughter, half of my manuscript is hand written. LOL

Ruth Hiebert said...

Love your Glads.I do not think of funerals but of my Husband,who loved Glads.These are very pretty.

Betsy Banks Adams said...

Gorgeous Glads, Ginny. I tried to grow some one year, but they didn't do well here.. Guess they need more sunlight... But--they are pretty.
Hugs,
Betsy

Fred Alton said...

I was taught that the spiders resided in the bromeliads. I was never that fond of flowers to notice about them being a "funeral flower" but now that you mention it - yes, there are always some gladiolas...

Bobbie said...

They sure are pretty... now I can't wait for tomorrow...

Chatty Crone said...

They are pretty! I love them. My grandmother was named after them - Glady's and I loved her.

I agree with you - have no love for spiders!

S. Etole said...

They are beautiful, Ginny ... but, yes, I associate them with funerals and church. They are often used as altar flowers.

Regina said...

That is funny..too bad about your fear of spidy that was instilled (lol)..I know others just like you! ha ha. I've loved these flowers ever since I was a child..serious and its lilies and hmm..and forget what else that I associate with funerals! I know just what you mean though!! ..a matter of our associating them together. In fact, just because of what you said, I've mentally positioned flowers so they wouldn't look like that or remind me..though I've never grown gladiolas. I used to pick them at my future high school (big red ones)..when I began attending when I became a teenager, a couch walked up to me and recognized who I was!! It worked out great when I was late for dinner (terrible)

Rose said...

No, I had never thought of funerals when seeing glads...but I may now. haha Actually, I usually think how much hummingbirds love them.

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