Monday 29 July 2019

Snapdragons

Snapdragons are magical flowers. They take me right back to my childhood. My mother often planted snapdragons in pots or in the "rockery". Did anyone else have a rockery, or was that just a term that my mother and grandmother used? It was a flower bed, lined with rocks and had special rocks placed throughout.

Snapdragons were wonderful because of their variation of colour, as well as the nifty trick you could do with them by squeezing the blossoms "just so" causing the little mouths to 'snap' open and shut.

I don't put snapdragons in every year, but I did this year in the window boxes on the shed. I like the rocket series because they are tall. Generally though, they bend and stretch, rather than staying completely upright. Here are some of the gorgeous colours they surprised me with:



Picking a favourite flower would be like picking a favourite child, but snapdragons might be in the top ten! What is your favourite flower?

51 comments:

  1. I wish I'd planted them this year. They remind me so much of my mother too. My grandmothers favorite was geraniums.

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  2. I like snapdragons too. We didn't use the term "rockery" but instead "rock gardens."

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  3. They are gorgeous and a childhood memory for me, too....

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  4. My grandmother's favorite might have been Nasturtiums and my mother's was probably geraniums.

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    1. There were always geraniums at home - never nasturtiums, though. Marigolds provided the orange / yellow colours.

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  5. Love snapdragons but never had any luck with growing them. Love all those colors too.

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    1. I don't grow them from seed - I buy them as bedding plants.

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  6. I have a bunch of snapdragons in this year that I started from seed....they are such a happy flower!!!!!!!!! Do you deadhead them? I'm wondering if I should...

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    1. Good for you starting from seed - much more economical that way - how far ahead did you have to start them? I haven't needed to deadhead yet. Deadheading just depends on how busy / lazy I am!

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  7. First time I saw these I was amazed, I was 8 yrs old.

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  8. I used to have snapdragons self-seeding all over my garden but they have been absent for the last year or two - maybe time to introduce some new stock? Such lovely colours!

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    1. Maybe I need to try to grow them from seed next year.

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  9. Those are beauties indeed. I remember my grandma showing me how to make the snapdragons open their mouths.

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    1. A lady once showed our daughter how to use unopened hollyhock buds to make little ladies.

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  10. We also called it a rock garden. Your snapdragons are beautiful. My favorites are zinneas!

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    1. I've only had zinnias a couple of times, but they are lovely flowers - many variations.

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  11. So many lovely flowers to choose from. How to pick a favorite? Maybe Sweet Peas. But if you think of flower fragrances, how can you not love lilacs?? (Swoon!)

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  12. I col - yes we use to make the Snapdragons snap or use for the fairies to have hats. You have a lovely collection of some vibrant coloured Snaps. I could never pick just one favourite summer flower. ... Mary-Lou =^..^=

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    1. Fairy hats! That makes me think of the "flower fairy" books.

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  13. I have two faves from when I was a child; bleeding heart and bachelor buttons.
    Love your snapdragons - I didn't plant any this year to cut down on the number of containers.

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    1. I love bleeding heart, but have never successfully grown it here, although I see other people's plants that are massive.

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  14. I'm less of a flower, more a food person!
    The subtle green of currant flowers....
    Geraniums more than pelargoniums..hollyhocks, foxgloves and mullein for height.

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    1. I used to have many, many hollyhocks, but now just a few and most of them are a sad pale yellow. But foxgloves, oh they are just so beautiful, but again, not something I've been successful with.

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  15. My dad always called a retaining wall made out of stone a "rockery". He would plant in the nooks and crannies between the stones.

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    1. I wonder if he planted "hens and chicks", a type of succulent. My mom had those.

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  16. We have some white daisies in our garden (about waist high, not sure of their name). They grew in the garden of my childhood home, in Larches Road, where I lived with my Mom and grandparents (Nan and Gramp). We gave a clump to a schoolfriend of mine's parents, and when they moved, they took some with them. The Larches Road home was sold and many years passed. Then my schoolfriendmoved back from Australia to the UK to care for her mom...and she gave ME a clump of our daisies...still going strong almost 50 years on!

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    1. I love that story. It's great to be able to share perennials. People who are gardeners really appreciate them.

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  17. I like them very much. My favourite flowers are probably daffodils, because they flower best in early spring (favourite time) and come in so many varieties but it is a toss up between those and roses, particularly scented ones.

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    1. Daffodils are definitely a sign that you made it through another winter and spring is here!

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  18. Don't need to put them in every year - they self-seed. We like watching bees go in.

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    1. Unfortunately, mine are in a window box that gets cleaned out of its soil each year (the squirrels do a pretty good job of cleaning it out looking for walnuts they hid in there, too). So, self seeding wouldn't be an option.

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  19. I like sunflowers and try to have some cut ones in the house all summer long. The snapdragons are lovely colors.

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    1. I haven't planted sunflowers in years - now I want to!

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  20. I like snapdragons too, they bloom for a long time and have many colors. As a child I would pick some snapdragon flowers and make them roar and pretend they were lions, and I made a lion cage for them with a kitchen strainer. I am fond of zinnias now. One variety I grow from seeds is Purple Prince.

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    1. Oh, that's darling that you had a little lion cage!

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  21. I haven't thought of snapdragons for years! I used to do the same thing with them, when I was a child. Unfortunately, they were the prized possession of our neighbor, who had little patience for children, let along children who manhandled her flowers.

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  22. These are beautiful! I love flowers in general, hard to pick.

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  23. Just saying good morn. Not sure if you are doing coffee on the porch right now, but I have finished mine on the deck. It is 7:43 in Nashville TN.

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  24. Lovely snapdragons. What a way to start the day.

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  25. Those are pretty flowers. I don't know if I have ever heard "rockery" but I like it!!! I like traditional roses and tulips...hydrangeas I think are my favourite...or maybe peonies...or pansies...I should stop now!!! :)

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  26. Beautiful! I never have very good luck with them. Too bad as they are a nice flower.

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  27. Snapdragons are in my top ten too, Jenn, though I have trouble growing them, but I keep trying. This year the slugs feasted on them, I will keep trying!~wink~
    Thanks for visiting and for leaving a sweet comment.
    Have a great day,
    Sue

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  28. I do remember them from when I was a kid...
    Haven't had any in my gardens for years...Maybe next year!!
    Hope you are well...
    Cheers!
    Linda :o)

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  29. Snaps are in my top ten to be sure. I wish I had them in my garden. Of course, they would probably be dead if I did so I'm thrilled to enjoy them here. I love the idea of a rockery!

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  30. Jenn, The first snapdragon I ever saw...I was walking home from church and found one blossom in the street. I took it home and told my mom it was an orchid...because I did not know what it was , I had never seen one before, but I had seen an orchid picture. I was 10 years old. LOL. I do love their wonderful colors. Blessings, xoxo, Susie

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  31. Oh such a sweet simple joy from my childhood.I remember as a young girl you could squeeze them in such a way that they were moving their mouths and talking. I saw some this summer in the most beautiful burgundy color, and managed to snip a spent branch to try the seeds. They are just so simply lovely. I'm following along with you now. Enjoyed the post.

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