Snapdragons in Bloom!

I started these snapdragons inside from seed in March, and I have been watching them grow everyday. They start out as clumps of tiny little sprouts, and as they grew, I weeded out the weakest ones, and spaced out the stronger ones.  I put them outside after the last frost in May - which was only slightly after the last snowfall at the end of April. Oh, Chicago spring.

For a while, they grew slowly, as the cold weather persisted. Then, it started to get sunny and they began to take off. The day that the first one bloomed  was a very exciting day for me. I can't wait to start cutting them and putting them in vases!

This is a really interesting rocket bronze variety. All of my seeds are from Pinetree Garden Seeds and Accessories. They have a really great selection of heirloom seeds.

Here is an up-close shot of the bloom. When you squeeze the sides, the flower opens up and looks like a dragon's mouth, hence the name!

This is a gorgeous bi-color Brighton Rock variety.  

These guys are almost two feet tall! 

I have some climbing flower plants that will be ready to bloom later this summer. I look forward to sharing them!