Splitting Elephant Ears, Layered Oakleaf Hydrangeas & Towering Gladiolas

Elephant Ears maybe one of the easiest plants to splitt and transfer, even in the early heat of the Spring.  They love water, so don't be shy dousing them every day for several days after splitting.  In the picture there are 6 plantings that can from one giant clump, which was approximately 12-16 inches across.  Simply fine where new bulbs are defined and split with a sharp shovel.  This mass started as one small transplanted bulb from 2 summers ago.

Some people like to dig them up and store them over the winter, but in our climate (Hardiness Zone 8a) they always rebound once the soil warms up.

Oakleaf Hydrangeas; Layered Transplants from
last summer

Blessings of a neighbor's overgrown Oakleaf Hydrangea:   

Oakleaf Hydrangeas, when heavily overgrown naturally layer. That's when a limb grows into the ground, and then out of the ground and develops its own root system. The limb can then be severed with a sharp shovel or knife and then replanted.

I've a positive results from planting the new Hydrangeas in either potting soil or directly in the ground.  I was especially careful to keep these new transplants in shade and watered regularly.

Several of these headed off to a shady spot in Mississippi in Jess' mom's yard.

Oakleaf Hydrangeas; Layered Transplants from last week.

Gladiolas have a tendency of flopping over.  Simply plant them deep and add several inches of mulch.  Don't fret once they lost their blooms. Their spiky foliage, much like iris foliage, can be a great backdrop to small perennials or annuals. 

Gigantic Glads.