| I really like biennial flowers.
They have such vibrant colors, come into bloom just as the bulbs
are fading and they reseed themselves year after year.
They are great in bouquets and produce such amazing attention
getting flowers. Each fall, I got to the garden areas
where the biennials were blooming in the spring and dig up some
of the new seedlings to transplant them in other parts of the
gardens.
Biennial are plants that take two years to
complete their life cycle. You plant the seeds the first
year, the plant emerges and establishes it's root system.
It winters over in the garden and early the following spring it
starts to grow, some only a few inches and others as much as 4-5
feet tall. After blooming it goes to seed then the parent plant
dies. So you only have to plant the seeds once, the plant
does the job from then on. Just make sure there is bare soil for
the seeds to land. The photo above is of sweet William in
front of the elementary school last spring. |
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Campanula
Canterbury Bells
(aka Bellflowers)
produce 2-3 foot
flower spikes with bell-shaped flowers
of purple, violet, blue, lavender, pink, and white.
They are an attention getting in the gardens.
They make a great cut flower. They are dramatic enough to
be displayed along rather than in a mixed bouquet. |
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Forget-Me-Not:
I think of Forget-me-not as a happy flower.
There are annual, biennial and perennial varieties. Some
are not actually related but have similar flowers, as is the
case with this mix. It is a blend of two varieties:
Biennial (Myosotis sylvatica). 6" - 8" tall. Blooms in early
spring. Annual (Cynoglossum amibile). 12"-24" tall.
They are perfect for small bouquets and make
a beautiful pressed flower. |
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Digitalis purpurea 'Gloxiniiflora'
(aka foxglove):
These regal ladies are standouts in any garden. It can be
hard to get yourself to do it, but if you cut the flower heads
back before they go to seed, you will get a second bloom.
It will not be as awesome as the first but certainly worthwhile.
Like other biennials, once they get started they are reliable
self seeders. |
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Alcea - rosea
(aka Hollyhock): There are
many varieties of Hollyhock. They grow from 3-7 feet tall.
Some are single flowering like the ones pictured but there are
also doubles that are pretty amazing.
They make such a statement in the gardens that you hate to cut
them for bouquets. |
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Aquilegia x hybrida 'McKana's Giant
(aka Columbine): I
love columbine! It comes in an endless variety of color
combinations. We grew this large variety for the first
time last year and it is now one of my new favorites. It
is great in bouquets! |
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Dianthus - barbatus
(aka Sweet William):
In addition to being an awesome bloomer and a wonderful
reseeder, this best thing about this flower is the sweet spicy
fragrance. It is a long bloomer and lasts a long time in
the vase. |
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