Description

When I left Camp Joy Gardens, I was given a treasured box of seeds of many of the flowers that were growing there. I held on to that box for two years, dreaming of my own flower garden when we find a spot of land. While we waited, we collected wood scraps to make wooden seed trays (following the instructions in a John Jeavons book we picked up at a thrift store) so that as soon as we had the garden space, we would be ready to sow. I can remember the giddy excitement I felt as I pulled out all the seeds waiting patiently in the small cardboard box. As I read the handwritten names of each little packet, it was just like going through an old photo album. I could see each and every bloom in my mind (and the scent), remembering the first time I started those same seeds, transplanted them, and arranged them. I hadn’t realized how much I missed them or how much knowledge and nostalgia were in these seeds. And to be able to bring them to life again; well that’s just pure magic.

Among my small collection of flower seeds were, of course, these snapdragons. The mix I started with came in a beautiful range of colors from rose, lemon, cherry, to white. Some were also bi-color. Since then, they’ve undergone a bit of “selection” over the years as I saved seeds from the best performing plants that can thrive in our rocky hillside garden. These are hardy perennial snapdragons with a multibranching habit and a long blooming time from June through September. They’re almost 4 ft tall and most are pink. They are workhorses as they give 10-12 stems of flowers per plant, giving me abundant bouquets as well as seeds.

I am in the process of introducing more genetic diversity to this mix by adding more variety and colors. As with all seed saving endeavors, this is a dynamic, evolving relationship. This page will continue to be updated each season as our mix changes.

Details

Lifecycle: Perennial in Zones 7B – 10
Lifespan: 1 – 3 years
Hardiness zones: 6 – 11 (USDA)
Habitats: Cultivated gardens
Plant size: 30 – 48 inches tall
Light: Full sun to part shade
Soil: Moist but well drained
Water: Moderate

Seed Starting

Sow seeds indoors 8-10 weeks before last frost. Do not cover seeds as light is required for germination. Seeds are very small. Bottom water or mist recommended. Transplant to 4″ pots when first true leaves appear. For more blooms, pinch plants to half their height when they’re 4 inches tall. Plant 6-12″ apart.

Cultivation

Although snapdragons are technically short-lived perennials, many growers treat them as hardy annuals, starting the plants in the fall or early spring, harvest in the summer, and then start over again the next year. We grow them here in our Zone 7B as perennials, leaving them in place to overwinter and return the following year. Some of my snapdragons are 4 ft tall and self-seeding – a win-win in my book!

Harvest

Cut stems when just the bottom 2 or 3 flowers are open. Snapdragons bloom best in cool temperatures and will go to seed when summer heats up. So depending on when your plants begin blooming, you can get more than one cut from each plant. Snapdragons grown as annuals will usually only give one cut as they stop flowering when the weather gets too hot. My overwintered snapdragons bloom earlier and send up 10-12 stems per plant, so I can harvest and leave some to go to seed.

Propagation

Snapdragons make a lot of seeds, which I collect and broadcast in our orchard and border beds and enjoy seeing where they come up on their own. This is my own preferred method of propagation and works well when you have a lot of seeds and do not mind a low germination rate.  However, if you are starting from just one or a few seed packets, transplanting is best to ensure most of your seedlings come up. Once they are established, let your best performing plants go to seed and collect those seeds to plant the following year.

Seed Saving

Snapdragons are among some of the easiest plants to save seeds from. Wait for the plant to finish flowering and form brown seed stalks. Thresh by crushing the seedpods between your fingers and look for black seeds (paler colors indicate unripened seeds). Cut the entire seed stalk and shake it into a bucket. Screen and/or winnow the chaff and save cleaned seeds in paper envelopes.