Gladiolus for the Garden

My thoughtful friend ixoj and sent me a large bag of fifty gladiolus corms (which are different from bulbs) for my birthday. They arrived yesterday, and I quickly planted them in the ground two hours later. Hooray! I planted the corms along the north fence of our house; they are spread out to cover about 25 feet altogether. We have had a late spring this year, so I'm hoping that these corms will take and we'll enjoy gladiolus blooms in August or September. The bag of corms said that there is a "mixed" variety, so it will be fun to see what colors pop up. I'm hoping for something as vibrant and fun as the flowers in the photo above.

• Gladiolus (see an extensive care guide HERE): Grows between 2'-6' tall. This is a hearty plant which does well in well-drained (and even sandy) soil. Since we have mild winters in Washington state, I don't need to dig up the corms in the winter time, but I will need to cover the bed with mulch or hay.