A friend's grandmother hybridized gladiolus on her 3.5 acres in the Eastern Townships of Quebec, near the Saint Lawrence River. She just did it for pleasure. He remembers how frilly the flowers were. She died about 40 years ago and the property was sold. He went back to visit recently and drove past the old place. The gladiolus were still blooming along the driveway, in the grass. They would be covered by huge piles of snow all winter, as the driveway would be plowed regularly and the snow pushed to the side. The soil is about 20 feet of sand. Diane Whitehead Victoria British Columbia, Canada