Gladiolus on display: Hartlines display at state fair despite wet spring

COLUMBUS — Bad weather affected the gladiolus crop, but some flowers grown by Seneca County residents still made it to this year's Ohio State Fair. Kansas resident Doris Hartline, who has led the state fair's gladiolus department for a decade or more, said it was trying this year because of bad weather. She said she thought officials filled out the show nicely and estimated it had 150 entries. "We planted on time. … We just barely made the state fair, getting flowers here," said her husband, Cliff Hartline. Cliff Hartline's gladiolus flowers were on display Saturday and Sunday. Ohio State Fair used to completely handle the show, which now is put on by Northwestern Ohio Gladiolus Society, he said. "We use our own judges," he said. Cliff Hartline has been involved in gladiolus for about 40 years. "My wife wanted some gladiolus to make arrangements," he said. Doris Hartline was exhibiting them locally. She didn't realize what it was going to turn into, her husband said. Cliff Hartline hybridizes gladiolus, grows a lot for arrangers and sells to catalogers, who ship worldwide. He has gladiolus varieties in Australia and most all of Europe and has hybridized and introduced more than 200 varieties. He said he grows the flowers at his house, and they will be in full bloom starting this week for the next couple of weeks. Cliff Hartline said they have every color except for a true blue. "The delphinium blue gene isn't in the gladiolus," he said.