The second photo (right) is of my father holding a winning vase of what might be ‘Spic & Span,’ a gladiola that my father grew in his garden. This picture of Dad was probably taken in the late 1950s or the early 1960s by my Mom. Dad did grow ‘Spic & Span’ and he was an active member of the Kentucky Gladiola Society. The first picture (left) is of what may be ‘Spic & Span’ and was taken by me just a few days ago here at my home in Clinton, MS. The daffodil corms were given out as gifts from a Dutch bulb company in Meridian, MS at the 2011 American Daffodil Society Convention and Show in Jackson, MS. John Beck actually planted these corms in area between my sidewalk and the drive into my garage. Perhaps someone who sees this post can ascertain whether the photos included here are of ‘Spic & Span.’ During my junior high days, I actually showed a few glads at the Kentucky Daffodil Society show which was sometimes held on the Western Kentucky University campus in Bowling Green, KY, my hometown.
The glads my Dad grew were in much demand by several local florists as they were of much better quality and variety than those provided by florist wholesalers. The florists paid my dad the handsome price of $1.00/dozen. The summer after I graduated from Bowling Green High School, Dad would cut the glads early in the morning before he left for Brown’s Dairy & Ice Cream plant. Later in the morning, I would deliver them to the florists. As the summer of 1959 came to a close and classes were about to begin for the fall semester at Western, Dad gave me all the money from the sale of his glads . . . it helped out much with my first year college expenses even though I did have a Ogden Scholarship (tuition) to Western. Good memories!