>> "J Schwanke's Life in Bloom"
is brought to you by the
following...
>> That flower feeling.
♪
At home.
♪
At work.
♪
Or anytime.
♪
CalFlowers is a proud sponsor of
"J Schwanke's Life in Bloom,"
where flowers and wellness go
hand in hand.
>> We have fresh in all our
stores, from soups and steaks
and all things flour to all
things flowering.
Custom fresh arrangements
designed by our in-store
florists at
Albertsons Companies.
>> With additional support from
the following...
Dollar Tree.
♪
>> Today, I bring you glad
tidings -- literally.
Gladiolas are in the spotlight.
I have tips on planting, care,
and handling.
And create both simple and
impressive arrangements.
I'm J Schwanke.
Welcome to "Life in Bloom."
Today, we're focusing on
Gladiolus, a spectacular flower
by any standard.
They're a popular flower in
gardens, providing a backdrop
for other flowers, with heights
up to 4 feet tall.
Glads also became very popular
in memorial arrangements.
So much so that many people
regarded them only as funeral
flowers.
The size and the scale of glads
can be intimidating.
But their tiding can be enjoyed
in many ways beyond formal
services.
Before we look at some
arrangements, let's learn about
how glads are grown.
♪
They're planting here today with
your machinery and they're
hand-setting the bulbs.
>> They're hand-setting the
bulbs.
We feel that's a very important
part of our production to get
straight stems...
>> Uh-huh.
>> ...get our spacing at the
optimum for disease control and
for cutting and for -- And we
actually vary that by some of
our varieties.
We know they're bigger and more
lush, so we plant them further
apart.
>> They're hand-setting that to
make sure that that bulb stays
right.
>> The right side up.
That's correct.
As I can show you here, this is
the top.
>> Right.
>> And this is the new...
>> Oh, wow!
>> ...that spike coming out.
>> Okay.
>> And there will probably be
another one and possibly a third
one, since these are fairly
good-sized bulbs.
>> Okay.
>> And, of course, you can see
the roots that are starting
to --
>> Wow!
>> Just starting to come.
>> And if you planted it upside
down, it would still come up,
but the flower would have to
come up and come around.
>> Exactly. It's gonna be a
crooked stem and it's gonna take
much longer to come out of the
ground.
>> So, now once this is set,
then you cover them up?
>> We will cover them up.
We'll come in with another
tractor with a bed shaper and we
will bury these things about
4 1/2 to 5 inches deep.
>> How long does it take a
gladiola from this point till we
have that glad?
>> Uh...100 days, 110 days,
let's say, in general.
So, we cut a little bit
differently than most growers,
since we're not growing bulbs
for the coming season.
>> Okay.
>> And for disease issues and
things like that, we cut the
entire stalk at the ground
level.
And then, take the leaves off.
Try to leave three leaves.
And there you go.
>> How many people will check
out this glad before it goes?
>> Well, our first line is the
cutters in the field.
They're making a lot of
decisions.
You know, if it's too crooked,
we don't cut it or we cut it on
the ground.
>> Okay.
>> If it's nice and straight,
then they cut it and then bring
it in.
They'll look at it.
And then it goes into the
packing house, where it's
graded, bunched, and then it's
boxed.
>> So, then those bunches we saw
in the fields come here.
>> Mm-hmm.
And, so, they're looking at
length, head length, which is
the start of the flower to the
tip, matching them up so we have
a beautiful bunch when we're
done.
We cut by hand.
We harvest by hand.
It goes into the shed -- it's
bunched by hand.
Machines can do some of these
jobs, but they don't have a
human eye and a love that our
workers do.
♪
Gladiola is a genus of perennial
corms flowering plants in the
Iris family.
It is sometimes called "the
sword lily."
Its name came from the Latin
word "gladius," which means
"sword," and given the name due
to the fact that its leaves and
petals are tall, pointed, and
long, like a sword.
Gladioli grow from round,
symmetrical corms that are
enveloped in several layers of
brownish, fibrous tunics.
The spectacular giant flower
spikes in commerce are the
results of centuries of
hybridization and selection.
The flowering spike, which
springs from the corm, reaches
2 to 3 feet in height with
numerous funnel-shaped flowers,
all clustered on one side of the
stem.
There are six petal-like floral
parts and sparse, sword-like
leaves.
Gladiolus are available in a
broad range of colors.
The Gladiolus flower symbolizes
honor and remembrance, among
other meanings.
Gladiolus are the flowers
associated with a 40th wedding
anniversary.
Gladiolus was the word
Frank Neuhauser correctly
spelled to win the first
National Spelling Bee, in 1925.
♪
So, Kim, you have -- You were my
original guest on
"J Schwanke's Life in Bloom."
>> The debut.
>> Right, right. The pilot.
So, we've done this many times,
in many iterations of the other
shows that I did before I did
"Life in Bloom."
>> Right.
>> And, so, I love having you.
>> I love being here.
>> If her voice sounds familiar,
it's also the voice at the
beginning of this show.
>> I love it.
>> What I thought we would do
today is, we would make some
glad projects.
And when I started thinking
about it, I was like, "Oh, I
wish I could make this.
Well, I should make this.
Oh, it's like this."
And then, so, I decided we'd
make three things, okay?
>> Oh, great! I love to learn.
>> So, with tradition, there is
a mid-century-modern vase called
the glad vase.
>> Mm-hmm.
I've never seen one of these
before.
>> This is it, right?
They made these vases because
they hold glads appropriately,
right?
>> Yeah, because glads are kind
of -- The stems are so long, I
end up having to cut them down.
>> Correct.
>> You know, I'll buy them at a
farmer's market or on the side
of the road and cut them down.
I mean, they're beautiful no
matter what, but, I mean, with
one of these, you can really
highlight them.
>> So, we are going to use -- I
have some peach-colored ones...
>> Oh, beautiful!
>> ...to show you with this.
And, so, if you want to hand me
that water there...
So, it's interesting, because
these vases are a little bit
fragile, and so --
>> It's amazing that the vases
really lasted that long, this
many years -- right? -- without
getting broken.
>> So, I only filled this up
halfway.
>> Right.
>> Because I'm gonna displace so
much water with the stems.
>> Okay.
>> Right? And, so, now, here is
the thing that's true about
this, is that when you put this
in here -- I'm cut-- Mm, I'm
cutting that much off, right?
Because that's about where it's
gonna go.
>> Right.
>> And these glads have been
tipped.
And, so, what happens is --
>> If you don't, they don't open
all out, right?
>> Correct. Correct.
>> Yes.
>> And that's part of the issue
is that some people don't
realize that that will cause
that.
And what happens is, it's a
surge of ethylene that goes up
the stem, but then that surge of
ethylene will cause all of them
to open up.
And then, as this opens up, I'll
pull these guys off as they
expire.
>> Right.
>> And then I'll shorten them up
a little bit more.
>> So you don't have to look at
it.
>> So, by the end, it will be
like this, 'cause, yeah, you
would have nothing right here.
Right? Right?
You want it to be pretty.
But it's interesting, because
I don't think it takes as many
glads, 'cause, obviously, these
are big guys.
I mean, these are big glads.
And, sometimes, there are
smaller ones.
There's one called colvillii
which is a miniature glad.
And it is -- It has tinier,
smaller, little --
>> That center one's big enough
where you can put both of the
stems in there, right?
>> You can, right?
And, so, in this one -- So, I
think we did 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6.
>> Beautiful.
>> If this was our centerpiece
and we wanted it to be a nice
little, low centerpiece, what
are we gonna do with that?
>> Yeah.
>> You have cutters there.
>> I do.
>> But what I'm gonna show you
is, if I cut here...
I have a short flower.
Right?
>> Amazing. Yeah.
>> If I cut here, I have another
short flower.
If I cut -- So, I'm cutting in
between the flowers.
>> Right.
♪
>> I'm gonna let you keep doing
that, I'm gonna show you one
more thing, okay?
>> Okay.
>> Okay, see, so, I know that
you're -- 'Cause you're, like,
an entertainment buff, too,
right?
>> [ Laughing ] Yes.
>> So, if I were to go...
♪ Da-da-da-da ♪
>> ♪ Da-da-da-da ♪
[ Laughs ]
>> So, right.
It's like Morticia Addams,
right?
>> [ Laughs ]
>> I'm cutting off the tops of
my glads so I can...
>> That's true.
>> ...so I can make a topiary
tree.
♪
So, this is a little guy called
Pittosporum.
Variegated Pittosporum.
Okay, so, I took another piece
of soaked flower foam.
>> Okay.
>> And I wrapped -- This is
Anchor tape.
It's waterproof Anchor tape,
okay?
So, I just made a cage all the
way around.
And what that's gonna do is,
it's gonna prevent it from
falling apart when I stick stems
in it.
>> I see.
>> So, then what I'm gonna do
with this now is, I am going to
take this guy and I'm gonna
shove him down on these stems.
Okay?
>> Yeah.
>> Just like that. Okay?
So, now I've got my greenery at
the bottom and my topiary --
>> I was wondering what you were
gonna go.
>> Right, right, right?
So, now I'm gonna go in here.
And I'm cutting my glads apart
the same way that you did.
I'm not gonna cut them apart
into singles.
I'm gonna use them as doubles.
>> Okay.
♪
I was so looking forward to
doing this.
I really was.
>> Oh, that's so awesome!
>> But I buy these every year.
When these come out -- As soon
as they're out at the farmer's
market, I buy these.
I've never done anything like
this before, so this will be fun
to try at home again.
And all you need, like you said,
is really just one of those --
>> Yeah. Just a little -- just a
little dish.
>> Yeah.
>> What do you think?
>> I love it.
>> So, yeah -- So, now, look, we
have three fun things that we
did.
We have this. We have that.
>> In no time at all.
>> Yeah.
>> Right?
>> Yeah.
And, well, Kim, this is fun.
How about in a few minutes, we
get together for
"Flower Cocktail Hour"?
>> Ooh! I could use a cocktail.
>> Okay. Perfect. We'll do it.
It's wonderful to have a bunch
of glads in a vase in your
house.
And one of the things we want to
do is encourage our glads to
open up all the way to the end
of the stem.
So, there's a little secret that
I talk about, especially when
our glads look like this.
When we first get them, they may
be showing just a little bit of
color.
And that's where we want to cut
them in the garden.
If we have them in the garden,
cut them as soon as they're
starting to show color.
Or you might get them that are
just starting to open up.
But the secret to getting them
to look like this is something
that I call tipping the glads.
Let's put these glads in a vase,
and I'll show you how it's done.
♪
Obviously, when we're putting
our glads into our vase, we're
using ice-cold water and we're
also using our flower food
inside there.
That's important, because the
glads want the food to help them
open up the flowers.
But there's still one more
secret, and that's tipping the
glads.
This is something I learned from
my grandfather, but something
that works so effectively.
When we tip the glads, we'll go
in and remove the top 3 or
4 buds and simply break it out
of the tip.
When we break it out of the tip,
it causes a surge of ethylene in
the stem, and that will cause
all of the blooms to open up all
the way to the end.
If we don't remove the tips,
what will happen over a period
of time is, they aren't as
advanced in their growth
process.
So they'll turn yellow and they
may even droop.
So tipping the glads is going to
allow us to do something to them
that's going to make our vase
beautiful for days and days.
I'm channeling my grandfather,
"Carnation" Joe Green, and we're
going to create a hand-wired
glamelia.
I have fond memories of
composite flowers, especially
glamelias.
A flower made out of a gladiola
is difficult.
And I learned about that when I
was a little kid.
I would watch my grandpa
hand-wire and tape the glamelia,
just like we're going to do
today.
So, we'll create one blossom out
of different sizes of gladiola
florets.
We'll select an open blossom, a
half-open blossom, and a bud.
We'll remove the calyx off the
outside so that we expose the
bottom of each one of those
buds.
We'll take the slightly open
blossom and cut of the bottom.
When we cut off the bottom, we
want to make sure that we don't
dislodge the petals, but we cut
off enough so that we dislodge
the stamen and the pollen on the
inside.
And it allows us to place the
bud down inside the slightly
more open blossom.
♪
We'll do the same with the open
blossom, cutting off the bottom
to dislodge the pollen and
letting it fall out.
We'll place the bud and the
blossom inside the more-open
blossom.
This forms the center of the
glamelia.
I use a piece of florist's wire,
then, to cross-wire that blossom
and tape it.
♪
We set the center aside and then
we work with open blossoms,
cutting off the back of each
blossom and dislodging the
stamens and the pollen.
Carefully, we open up the
blossoms so that we have the
blossoms laying together in a
row.
We make a large hairpin and
place it through the glad
blossom.
Then we make a smaller hairpin
and send it through the blossom
in opposite direction.
Gathering up the wires, we tape
those together.
We use this process for all the
blossoms.
However, some blossoms we'll
divide in half.
We use the larger blossoms on
the outside and the
half-blossoms towards the
inside.
Once we've got all the petals
wired and taped, we can start to
fabricate the flower.
We'll use the smaller petals
towards the center, overlapping
them so that we cover the wire.
As we gather the petals around,
we'll tape them to our stem.
After all the petals are in
place, we'll cut away the fat.
That's what my grandpa used to
call it when we'd cut away
additional wires before we taped
it so we got a nice, perfect
tapered stem.
You can use foliage or ribbon to
support the back of the blossom.
Today, we're gonna use this
beautiful lace.
We place that on the back to
help support the petals and tape
it to the stem.
So, that's my version of a
wired-and-taped glamelia.
Okay, so, I wanted to show you a
fun way that we could make a
simple arrangement.
Typically, when I have something
like this, obviously...
this is not going to work.
>> Right, right, right, right.
>> Right? We can't do that.
So what we're going to is, we're
going to take some of these
rocks.
And we'll put them in there at
one end.
Okay.
So, now what I can do is...
>> Mm-hmm.
>> Right?
>> Nice. Yeah.
>> And so then you can just lay
them across there.
You know, every show, we have a
flower cocktail -- right? -- for
"Flower Cocktail Hour."
But what I love is the fact that
when a friend comes and if they
want to make flowers, I can open
a bottle of wine.
>> That sounds good.
>> Right, right, right, right?
♪
Here.
>> Thank you.
>> And, you know, now, look at
how fun that is, right?
>> I love it.
>> I mean, it's just a really
simple way for us to do it,
right?
>> And those kind of pull it all
together.
>> The weight of that texture
down there is great.
You know that we have a
tradition.
>> [ Laughing ] I can't wait.
>> So, I have to tell you this.
I had no idea what you were
wearing today.
Okay?
>> Okay.
>> But...
>> I love it!
>> ...I have a flower crown for
you.
I used gladiolas.
Similar technique to what you
did.
>> Right, right.
>> Right? So I cut them shorter,
in pieces, and then I was able
to make them into a flower
crown.
And in the pilot episode that
you are in, we talk about how to
make a flower crown, so I used
that same technique.
>> I love those.
>> Okay? So, I got to shape it a
little bit.
>> Okay.
>> I think I remember how big
your head is.
>> [ Laughs ]
It's pretty little.
>> It is pretty little.
It's awesome!
>> I love it.
>> Hey, thank you for everything
that you have done for me.
>> Oh, thank you.
>> When we decided we were going
to make this show, I called you
and I said, "We're gonna make a
pilot for PBS.
Would you come be on it?"
>> Yes.
>> And you did, and that was
wonderful.
>> Yes. It was fun.
>> And then, when we said, "We
got the show.
We need to have some voice-over
work at the beginning.
Would you come on the show?"
And you said, "Yes, I would."
>> Yes, yes.
>> And anytime I have a crazy
idea and I call you about
something, whether it's a
Flower Power Challenge or
whether it's giving flowers away
on the street or -- I've always
got crazy ideas to talk to you
about.
>> And I love your crazy ideas.
>> That's awesome.
>> I love you, J.
>> I love you, too.
Well, cheers, Kim, to great
friends and a lifetime full of
flowers.
>> Happiness and health.
♪
>> So, here's another fun way to
include gladiolas in your home.
We have a vase, and I've bound
this piece of manzanita to it
with craft-covered wire.
So, it's bound on the back.
And it hangs over the front of
the vase.
Many times, I talk about
structure and how we can create
a structure inside a vase with
foliage or sticks or wire that
aid us in arranging the flowers.
So, this is another take on that
structure, but our structure is
above the vase.
And the manzanita branches
themselves will hold the flowers
in place.
This is a great way to arrange
flowers.
It's great for gladiolas but
could also work with lilies or
other types of flowers, too.
So, let me show you how this
structure can aid in arranging
your flowers.
♪
I cut my glads with my bypass
pruner and then simply place the
flowers into the vase through
the structure on top.
♪
I want to make sure I tip my
glads so that they open all the
way to the top.
I can do that by hand or I can
use my pruners.
♪
Because this arrangement makes
such a statement, I want to make
a statement with the foliage,
too, so I'll use two Monstera
leaves on one side.
♪
Now all that's left is to sit
back and enjoy the glads.
I've always loved gladiolas, so
it's been a treat for me to show
off these beautiful blooms in
news ways to be arranged and
enjoyed.
For "Life in Bloom," I'm
J Schwanke.
How's your arrangement coming
over there?
>> Good. Should I do some more?
>> Sure. I think you should.
>> Okay.
>> So, okay, you know, 'cause I
spent some time in Atlanta
before I came here...
>> Yeah.
>> ...and more is always better.
[ Both laugh ]
>> Yeah, no doubt.
>> Right, right, right?
>> Right, right.
>> It's just like, "Oh, we're
not done with that.
We need to add some more to
that.
That would be great."
>> It's like that in Texas, too.
>> Correct.
Kim, it's beautiful!
>> I decided to stick this in
there.
I wasn't -- I was gonna cut it
in half.
>> Uh-huh.
>> And then I thought, "No, it's
gonna add, like, a little more
height and dimension," like
this, right?
>> Right.
>> I'm learning, J.
I'm telling you.
>> You're so right.
You're so right.
It's perfect.
"J Schwanke's Life in Bloom"
is filmed in Grand Rapids,
Michigan.
>> Visit J's website,
ubloom.com, for flower projects
and crafts, complete recipes,
behind-the-scenes videos,
J's blog, flower cocktails,
and more.
♪
"J Schwanke's Life in Bloom"
is brought to you by the
following...
>> That flower feeling.
♪
At home.
♪
At work.
♪
Or anytime.
♪
CalFlowers is a proud sponsor of
"J Schwanke's Life in Bloom,"
where flowers and wellness go
hand in hand.
>> We have fresh in all our
stores, from soups and steaks
and all things flour to all
things flowering.
Custom fresh arrangements
designed by our in-store
florists at
Albertsons Companies.
>> With additional support from
the following...
Dollar Tree.
♪
Closed-caption funding provided
by Holland America Flowers.
♪
♪