Skip to main content

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.

Popular posts from this blog

Artist Profile - Andy Goldsworthy

Are you an avid hiker, naturalist or just like to sit out on in the fresh air? Or do you simply enjoy beautiful sights? Of course, beauty can be found just about anywhere. Because I am lucky to live in a wooded community I am treated to a daily concert of sights and sounds and no day is the same. The Artist Andy Goldsworthy Source: Kidzworld.com As someone who has always enjoyed nature and art I was thrilled to discover the art of Andy Goldsworthy. Although I've known his work since the mid-nineties he never ceases to enchant me. If you don't know who he is, prepare to be amazed. Goldsworthy is a man who enjoys the colors and textures of nature and presents them in a way you likely have never seen before. And, you don't have to be a nature-lover to appreciate his art. Rowan Leaves & Hole Source: Morning-Earth.org Goldsworthy is considered a pre-eminent "Earthworks" artist. This trend in art-making was popularized in the 1980s and 9...
Read more

How To Make a Rainbow Leaf Drawing

Do you like to draw or maybe just like the idea of drawing and don't know where to start? Drawing, like any other skill, is learned. And you have to start from somewhere. I find the best place to start is with simple and colorful shapes. The following post will show you step by step how to make a colorful leaf drawing. There is no pressure to be perfect here. This is a small drawing. It's just a matter of you finding a half hour to an hour of time and some very basic materials. You will need a piece of paper, a ruler, a pencil,  eraser, a black pigment marker (I use Faber Castell but a thin Sharpie is fine) and some color pencils. Do not use a ball point pen as it will smear. Do not use crayons as they will also cause the ink to smear. This drawing will fit a 5x7" mat or frame. Draw a box that's just a bit larger than 5x7" on your paper. Using your pencil draw the shape you see on the left. Erase as needed until you like the shape. Draw two li...
Read more

How to Decoupage a Picture Frame

So you have a really good sized picture frame and something to put in... but it just looks so plain. What do you do? You could paint it another color. Easy but still plain. Maybe you want a frame that's more unique but you don't want to pay what a custom framer will charge to make that for you. One very simple way to update a frame is to do decoupage. What is decoupage? Decoupage (pronounced   "dey-koo- pahzh") is the art or technique of decorating something with cut-outs of paper, linoleum, plastic, or other flat material over which varnish or lacquer is applied. (Dictionary.com) Remember this guy?   This colorful collage was demo'd last week. Here's a link to the post: http://craftyincobb.blogspot.com/2016/02/crafty-lion-collage-how-to-make-your-own.html Well, I want to frame it but don't it to be flat and plain. I want it to compliment the artwork. Because it's a paper artwork I've decided to co...
Read more