• Gladiolus may need staking in the garden.Jupiterimages/Photos.com/Getty Images
  
  Perennial summer bulbs begin rising from the surface of the soil just as spring bulbs begin to wane. Fleshy, flower or foliage storage organs such as corms, tubers, rhizomes and tuberous roots are sometimes erroneously referred to as bulbs, but there's only one true bulb from which flowers grow. Since, however, many professional papers refer to the other things as bulbs, that terminology is used in this article.
  
  

Canna

• Cannas grow from underground stems called rhizomes and produce brightly flowering plants 3 to 8 feet tall, with red, pink, yellow, orange and cream flowers. To gain a head start on the flowering season, start cannas indoors by mid-March and set them in the garden in mid-May. If you prefer, the rhizomes can just go in the garden in mid-May. If you live in a cold-weather region, cut off the tops of cannas after they die back, dig them up and store them indoors at 45 to 50 degrees Fahrenheit. Those who live in warmer climates can leave them in the ground for flowers the following summer.
  
  

Gladiolus

• Gladiolus, available in a variety of colors, grow from a corm and can reach a height of 5 feet. Plant them in the garden in May and stagger the planting for continuous bloom through fall. You may need to stake these tall flowers. Gladiolus make excellent cut flowers, and when cutting for indoor display, leave at least four leaves on the plant. These leaves continue to feed the corm, guaranteeing flowers for the following summer. Dig up the corms in the fall and allow them to dry out, and store them at 35 to 40 degrees Fahrenheit in a mesh bag.
  
  

Caladium

• Caladiums, grown from tubers and prized for their beautiful foliage, can grow in sun or shade with flowers of red, pink, white, green and yellow-green. Two leaf types exist: fancy-leafed caladiums can grow from 12 to 30 inches tall, and the strap-leafed caladiums grow to less than 1 foot tall. If growing caladiums outside, the best place is under the canopy of a tree where filtered light shines on them. Caladiums will rot in temperatures cooler than 70 degrees Fahrenheit, so wait until the weather is adequately warm before planting. In the fall, you may dig up the tubers and store them for next year's garden.