Potluck Cotton Candy Punch Bulb Mix

Light Needs

Full Sun

(6+ Hours Direct Sun)

Mature Height

Varies

Mature Spread

Varies

Growing Zones

8 to 10

Pink never stays in one lane in the Potluck Cotton Candy Punch Bulb Mix. This 24-piece collection combines Gladiolus ‘Campinas’, Lilium orientalis ‘Curly Sue’, Dahlia ‘Pinelands Princess’, and Dahlia ‘Electric Light’ in shades that move from pale blush to deep cerise. Tall gladiolus spikes, fragrant lily flowers, and full dahlia blooms create a summer display with varied height and flower form. We enjoy this mix most when the first gladioli open and the dahlias begin filling out below them.

Campinas gladioli supply slender vertical stems topped with light pink flowers marked by darker fuchsia throats. Curly Sue Oriental lilies perfume the planting with curled pink petals edged in white, while the two dahlias continue flowering from midsummer until frost. The lilies are reliable perennials in cold-winter gardens, but the gladiolus corms and dahlia tubers are usually lifted where the ground freezes. Plant this mix in a cutting bed near the house, along a sunny fence, or behind shorter summer flowers where its taller stems can rise and add layers of color.

Potluck Cotton Candy Punch Bulb Mix Care

Choose full sun, with light afternoon shade acceptable for Curly Sue lilies in hot-summer regions. Plant in fertile, humus-rich soil that drains promptly, with a slightly acidic to neutral pH of 6.0 to 7.0. Avoid low areas that remain wet after rain, since dahlia tubers, lily bulbs, and gladiolus corms can rot in saturated soil. Add a support for the tall gladioli stems early on.

Water the gladioli and lilies after planting, but keep the dahlia sections only lightly moist until shoots appear. Once growth is active, soak the soil when the top 2 inches feel dry, paying closer attention as gladiolus spikes lengthen and dahlia buds begin to form. Apply a low-nitrogen bloom fertilizer after shoots are several inches tall and again during bud development. 

Cut gladiolus stems when the lowest one or two flowers open, leaving several leaves on the plant to feed the corm. Deadhead dahlias often, and pinch young dahlia plants when they are about 12 inches tall to encourage branching and more flowering stems. Remove faded lily flowers without cutting back the green stems until the foliage yellows naturally. Lift dahlia tubers and gladiolus corms in colder regions after frost causes the foliage to fade.

Potluck Cotton Candy Punch Bulb Mix Spacing

Arrange the mix by mature height: space Campinas gladioli 6 to 8 inches apart, Curly Sue lilies 8 to 12 inches apart, and each dahlia 18 to 24 inches apart. Use an 18- to 20-inch container for one dahlia, or choose a long, heavy planter for a grouped planting of gladioli and lilies. Containers need generous drainage holes, sturdy support for tall stems, and more frequent watering during summer heat.

Box Contents

• 15 Campinas Gladioli
• 3 Curly Sue Oriental Lilies
• 3 Pinelands Princess Dahlias
• 3 Electric Light Dahlias

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