Holdover From Last Year

Three years ago, I bought a cheap packet of mixed snapdragon seeds. I started them indoors, planted outdoors in the spring, and had some so-so snapdragons during the growing season. I was not floored by the size of the plants or the colors, but let them grow. The following year, a bunch of them came back growing again - they self-seeded a dozen new plants from the previous year's deadheading.

Then last year, the same thing happened, but the colors were quite different. There were more yellows and whites. One snapdragon in particular was an incredible color - a soft yellow tinged with salmon pink on the newer buds. [posted 2019.06.15]

This year, in addition to the reseeded plants beginning to sprout again, two plants actually survived our mild winter. The surviving snapdragons are not seedlings but reinvigorated plants from last year. They got a really big head start over the seedlings in the bed and are looking like full mature snapdragons.

This is my deep crimson snapdragon blooming now - a color never seen. I suspect one of the plants that sprouted last year never bloomed, but saved up enough to push out a spike this year. You can see a little of the yellow-salmon peeking out from behind - not very upright.

June 2019 Bloom Day

Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day
What's blooming in the garden on the 15th of the month

If getting back into the Garden Bloggers Bloom Day again, May-June-July is the time to do it for me.

Spring has been good so far - off to a cool start, but over the past few months, we have had good weather and good rain. Things are growing - including the weeds.

Starting with the rudbeckia that needs a little birth control this year. I think every seed ever dropped came up - even the ones in the lawn and sidewalk cracks.

And the rudbeckia that appeared came with some interesting variety. For example, this green-eyed is a hybrid from some 'Irish Eyes' I grew a few years back.

This came all by itself. The bees must have been busy in some neighbor's garden one day last year.

Still another rudbeckia variation in markings.

The Asian lilies, name unknown, are taking off.

Echinacea are just beginning to peek out.

And my cultivar echinacea 'Sundown', part of the Big Sky series.

A snapdragon mix was started from seed two years ago. Now, they annually reseed themselves in a myriad of colors. I was stunned by this one. Have you ever seen such a color combination?

For other garden bloggers' bloom day photos, spring over to the blog May Dreams Gardens.