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Gardening in Cobb - Platycodon, or the Chinese Balloon Flower - An Indestructible Beauty

Photo from: http://www.backyarddiva.ca/chinese-balloon-flower/
If you live in Cobb County or anywhere in the Atlanta area you know that we all love our flowers. And we have a climate that accommodates some variety or other pretty much all year long. I love a good flower and a good garden but I don't want to spend a huge amount of time tending to them. If I have to water them every day they're done for. Maybe even every week...

A bit over 10 years ago we were in a bad drought and I looked into drought tolerant flowers. The drought was an opportunity for me to learn about what plants need less water. Less watering means that if there's another drought I can do my part and leave my garden alone. There are two lovelies that I discovered - sedum and platycodon. Today I'll talk about the latter.

Platycodon are commonly called "Chinese balloon flowers". They are a perennial and in Georgia start growing in early spring and bloom until late summer. They continue to grow and stay green until mid fall. I have them in different locations all over my yard as well as on my deck, where they get hit pretty hard by the mid-day summer sun. They haven't failed anywhere. They are very low maintenance and will come back thicker every year. They're also really easy to split.

The beautiful aspect of this plant is that the bud grows and grows until it looks like it's about to burst. Kind of like a balloon. Then it blows open and wilts a few days later.

Photo from: http://www.backyarddiva.ca/chinese-balloon-flower/

But the buds keep coming and I don't do much about it. The blooms come in varieties of blue, pink and white.

Photo from: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Platycodon_grandiflorus_2.jpg
Aren't they pretty?

Question is... where to find them? My first few pots that I put in my front yard were bought at a Home Depot. I haven't seen them there since. I called several nurseries in the area and finally found one that carried them. Scottsdale Farms in Alpharetta. They sell out quickly

If you haven't been there it's worth the trip even if they're out of balloon flowers. They have a nice café, an indoor store with artisan gifts and a gorgeous nursery full of very well grown herbs, flowers, shrubs and trees. It's a beautiful drive from anywhere in Cobb. I highly recommend - ScottsdaleFarms.com.

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