The Blue Balloon Has Burst

That's Blue Balloon flower though, and there was no popping noise , or at least none that I heard. Last year I started both blue and white balloon flowers from seeds and the white ones flowered when only a little over an inch or tow tall, with just one bud per very small stem. I was beginning to think though I had two separate packages marked one with blue and one with white, I was beginning to think I had only the white , since they were the only ones that flowered last year. Though the plants are quite spindly this year , the blue have decided to make an appearance in their second year, and I love them Very spindly plants, and if the root competition doesn't put a crimp in their "growing" style, the plants should be bushier and more floriferous next year, but it's sure nice to see them. Meanwhile the white ones are still not open. Here's the "spindly" look. Such a big flower on such slim stems.

Here's a closeup , though I'm still having a problem getting the right distance for the right focus. The individual flowers are about 2+in. across.

I can't understand why your getting flowers and mine are just about ready to put out buds. Our zones must be a shade different. I'm in a cold zone 5 but with this summer heat I would have thought they would be blooming by now. Your pic's look pretty good to me MrSeedy.

It could be the extra water and fertilizer I"ve given mine dony, and it is sort of a shady spot with a grape vine growing overhead. Your's will be along very soon most likely.

Man, I'm in Zone 6/7 and mine bloomed almost two weeks ago. It's short and stubby and in sun 3/4 of the day. That's what I love about gardening - the variety, even within the same plant types!

I think perhaps the seed grown ones vary from one to the next even in the same locations, and I've got some only a few inches tall in their second year, and not flowering yet, though the soil and sun exposure is the same as for the other ones.

mr. seedy my blue ones (from boo, thanks boo!) bloomed the first year from seed last year. Right now its blooming like mad. I'm going to try and dry some of the flowers in silica gel in the microwave.

can't wait to see flowers on mine, this is the first time I've ever grown them

The only ones I"ve seen other than in catalogs were on a garden show, in containers, and they were much bigger and more robust looking plants, but may have been grown from divisions , or been older plants. I'm hoping mine will become stronger and bushier over time, but they still are fairly young in "perennial" terms.

I started a lot of the balloon flowers from seed, but never had any bloom the first year for me, but by the second year they really filled out nicely and bloomed like crazy. They eventually will form a nice clump for you MrSeedy, then you could just divide the plant,you'll have more than you'd ever want.

My pink one has been blooming for two weeks. I think I prefer the blue one though.

In answer to another post about those short lived daylily flowers, I forgot to mention, I think the individual baloon flowers may last only one day as well, but I'm not sure what day they opened?? I took the picture of one yesterday and it already was badly wilted like it's done flowering today?

Well we just bought a new place and the yard needed a lot of work. There had been a greenhouse but it was in such bad shape we had to tear it down. The other day while sitting on the deck I spotted a blue flower and went to check. I was fully expecting it to be a weed (like most of the other things here. Guess what !! It was a Blue Balloon flower. I was so happy. Anyway the thing is blooming like crazy after we cleared stuff away from it. It is a little tall and spindly though. So should I get seeds from it and start another? I wish I had of taken a picture of the yard before we started cleaning it up. The people that we bought from were suppose to clean it up but didn`t. Good job the lawyer held money back because it cost them nearly $3000

to clean it. Anyway looking for suggestions for my Balloon Flower. Also can I move it when it finishes blooming? Thanks in advance.

hello I dont have any now because my prior rental home i had white,

what i did was not touch flowers after they dry up they have tons of tiny little black seeds inside to not loose them you can place a nylon around them and they will fall in there the flower will get really dry and the seeds will be in there, they have really long roots like wild carrots and dont do well with transplant, im not an expert just my tries in moving them as they go down deep and dont take to moving them,, you can put seeds all over,, and please if you can share even a few,, oh God im not able to find or get any at all, im a good trader on here ,, i have a good name honest traded with pergardener,, please think of me and OH yes balloon flowers are pretty and fun for kids if you push them together they make a popping sound thus the name balloon flowrs, and if you can save me a few I would be so blessed to pay you for the pack of even a few, they are fun,, good luck , blessings , Beth      My only regret is I never took anything from the rental home,, I didnt know we were leaving till mid winter of that year, now we own our bare home,, good luck with them,, blessings, Beth:)

Hi scarlett , thank you for the advice. Sorry I didn`t reply sooner but we have been busy cleaning up the yard. I`ll try and get some seeds and if I do you are more than welcome to have some.How does it work sending seeds across the border though?

Thanks again....going to get out some old nylons...lol

Well I think I'm just going to have to put this plant in my garden. Sounds very interesting. I need more blue things in garden areas. Was trying to find blue poppies but we haven't found any in our garden stores as yet.

Take care,

Kathy

Hi Kathy. Blue poppies huh? I think there are blue iceland poppies, not sure if they are annuals or perennials though.

I guess the one fault , if you want to consider it that, is that the flowers aren't "self cleaning and don't drop the old spent petals , which hold on and make the plants look a bit shabby and normally you'd just deadhead the spent flowers , seed pods and all, but this year I will save some seeds.  I'm truly amazed to see the biggest of the ones I grew from seeds at over four feet tall this year and never thought they'd get that tall!