Kevin Lee Jacobs

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Seeds to Winter-Sow: Platycodon ‘Sentimental Blue’

BY Kevin Lee Jacobs | January 17, 2012 32 Comments

Last updated on February 13th, 2013

IF I didn’t already  have  Platycodon ‘Sentimental Blue’ in my garden, I’d certainly obtain it. In early July, this amusing creature puffs up its flower buds as if to announce “I’m here at last …do you still love me?” And love it I do, because after these hot-air balloons (which make a loud “pop” if you squeeze them) open, they reveal the most dazzling, violet-blue stars you can imagine. Have a look:

Talk about plant porn!  The petals are richly veined in dark purple. The pistol,  cloaked in creamy-white, has a true-blue tip. Frankly, I’d give this dwarf, 8-inch tall perennial  an award for its colorful reproductive-system alone.

To achieve success with platycodon, be sure to winter-sow the seeds. I did just that back in January, 2009. Seeds require cold-stratification in order to germinate, and they receive this when you sow them in milk or water jugs, as above, and expose them to snow, sleet, and rain.

You can expect the seeds to be pokier than other perennials — usually they won’t sprout until late May. In mid-June give the young plants permanent positions in full sun. Mine are planted between a pair of flowering quince, which grow atop a stone wall in my Serpentine Garden.

So handled, plants will bloom their very first summer, but not until July. Provide supplemental water the first year; afterward you needn’t bother. Well-established platycodons are mercifully drought-tolerant.

If you promptly pinch off the spent flowers, budding will continue from July through late-September. Then the plants foliage will turn golden — thus providing a hint of autumn interest.

Because it is drought-tolerant, and also because it plays so well in so many situations — sunny rock gardens, the foreground of a flower border, and between or beneath shrubs — I consider  Platycodon ‘Sentimental Blue,’ which is hardy zones 3-8, to be a “perfect” perennial.    Just be careful when digging or weeding in spring — the plant is slow to emerge, and it will not tolerate any meddling with its crown.

Want lots of pretty blue balloons to play with this summer? You can let me know by clicking the “like” button,and also by posting a comment below. You know how much I love to hear from you!

Don’t miss anything at A Garden for the House…sign up for Kevin’s weekly newsletter.

Related Posts:
A Seed to Winter-Sow: Berlandiera lyrata “The Chocolate Flower”
Instant Spring: Forcing Forsythia & Other Branches
My Favorite Seed Suppliers…& Yours (2012 Edition)

House Tour, Part 4: The Dining Room
Kevin’s 2012 Events Schedule

Comments

  1. 1

    marilyn karon says

    January 17, 2012 at 7:04 pm

    I want to give you a different email address but need to know if you sell or give the email addresses to other businesses etc. as I want to protect my other email address from this. Please let me know and I will then change the address to the one that I access daily and which does not get junk mail etc. I look forward to your newsletter.
    Thanks
    marilyn karon

  2. 2

    Kevin Lee Jacobs says

    January 17, 2012 at 8:02 pm

    Marilyn – Are you referring to the email address for my weekly newsletter? That is managed through ConstantContact. ConstantContact is completely SPAM-free.They do not sell lists. In fact, I pay them…quite handsomely…to manage the list and keep it free of…junk.

    So if you want to change the email address at which you receive my newsletter, go ahead and do so with confidence. Click the link “subscribe to Kevin’s weekly newsletter” and submit away.

  3. 3

    Melissa Horton says

    January 17, 2012 at 10:07 pm

    I just love reading everything you post! I no longer have Facebook as it was draining me of
    time and I am more productive without it. However, I did sign up for your emails and
    will be checking your website as it is so enjoyable. Thank you!

  4. 4

    Kevin Lee Jacobs says

    January 18, 2012 at 7:46 am

    Melissa – So glad you signed up for the newsletter. And thank you for the note you sent along — it made my day!

  5. 5

    Claire says

    January 18, 2012 at 10:26 am

    I am so excited! Yesterday afternoon my milk jugs finally made it outside to a patio table. The table’s fresh snow helped anchor them. I still have a few milk jugs so your balloon flower seeds would be appreciated!!
    Thanks for inspiring me to do this!

  6. 6

    Sharon says

    January 18, 2012 at 11:07 am

    I don’t know if it was rabbits or deer, but I nearly lost this plant to herbivore depredation last year. The only thing that saved it was an old tomato cage preventing the buggers from nibbling on this.

    I live in Central NJ.

  7. 7

    Kevin Lee Jacobs says

    January 18, 2012 at 12:02 pm

    Claire – Congratulations! You will be SO excited when the seeds in your winter-sown milk jugs start to germinate in the spring.

    Sharon – What a bummer! Next spring, you might try planting lavender near your balloon flowers. Rabbits, woodchucks and deer despise lavender, and will seldom trespass it in order to reach other plants. This trick has worked for me on countless occasions.

  8. 8

    badger gardener says

    January 21, 2012 at 7:22 pm

    I love blue flowers and these look fabulous! I don’t have a Facebook account or I would most certainly “like” you.
    I just cut my forsythia today which means it must be about a year since I stumbled upon your blog. Thanks for a year of great garden tips, yummy recipes, and tours of your lovely home : )

  9. 9

    Janet Oliver says

    January 22, 2012 at 1:11 pm

    My small gardens have gone to rack and ruin over the past few years, but I plan to revive them this Spring. I don’t have anything blue left since the obnoxious woodchucks dug up my blue cranesbill. Even my red fox family won’t mess with them! I think I’ll try some wintersowing this year. I usually start my plants under lights in the kitchen. I’m guessing that snow cover (if we ever get any) is fine for the jugs. The Sand Lake Garden Club emailed me about your site, and I love all the information you share. Thank You for your generosity! Not sure if I’ll get to Garden Day this year. I avoid Facebook since it harvests email addresses ruthlessly. I commonly get “invitations to join” purportedly from friends who did not authorize their address books to be used.

  10. 10

    Deborah Phlippi says

    January 22, 2012 at 2:54 pm

    I LOVE this plant, but it tends to be pretty invasive in my yard. Finally got wise and moved them to an area that would welcome the spreading nature. Beautiful!

  11. 11

    Kevin Lee Jacobs says

    January 22, 2012 at 8:31 pm

    badger gardener — So glad you found this site. Like you, I clipped (yet more) forsythia branches today.

    Janet Oliver – Time to have a good talk with your blue-cranesbill-destroying-woodchucks! I have blue cranesbill ‘Roseanne’ here, but mercifully the woodchucks and other woodland critters have not bothered it. Yet.

    With winter-sowing, seeds are exposed to all the elements — including snow, sleet, and rain. The seedlings which emerge in spring are naturally hardened-off. (I grow plants under lights, too, and can tell you that my winter-sown plants are always stronger than my light-garden subjects! )

    Deborah Phlippi – If Platycodon has become invasive in your yard, the plant must really adore you 🙂

  12. 12

    Mary says

    January 22, 2012 at 10:23 pm

    What beautiful blue balloons!
    Thanks again for the inspiration you provide!

  13. 13

    Laura says

    January 22, 2012 at 10:46 pm

    Hi Kevin, I love blue flowers. We have a tiny little blue iris that looks like a clump of lawn grass. So much so that I pointed it out so that it wouldn’t get mowed -hal. We also have veronica in flower & ground cover form that is spectacular in the spring. The flower however is very leggy & doesn’t bloom as well as it did, so I think I need to cut it back to make it fuller. Blue balloon flower in the summer garden would be welcomed! P.S. – any tips for getting rid of creeping charlie without chemicals? I’ve used borax & hand pulled to no avail… it is relentless!

  14. 14

    Kevin Lee Jacobs says

    January 23, 2012 at 7:17 am

    Mary – Glad you like the balloons. So much fun to watch the buds form and then open.

    Laura – I wonder if that is the “Crested”- or “Rock”-iris you have. It does resemble a clump of grass dotted with tiny blue irises — it dwells in the woodland garden here and I love it.

    As for Creeping Charlie: I’d first hit it with white vinegar. Then remove new foliage the moment it emerges. Removing the foliage continuously will deprive the roots of food. Eventually the roots will give up — but it is a long process.

  15. 15

    Laura says

    January 23, 2012 at 6:58 pm

    Thanks Kevin! The crested iris is a beauty. Ours is blue-eyed grass( Sysyrinchium angustifolium) The blades are very slender & the tiny blue flowers close in late afternoon.
    http://www.wildflower.org/gallery/result.php?id_image=24625

  16. 16

    Kevin Lee Jacobs says

    January 23, 2012 at 7:08 pm

    Laura – Thanks for the link. What a pretty plant! Has it been well-behaved for you, meaning non-invasive? I only ask because perhaps I should place this on my winter-sowing list.

  17. 17

    Pamdemonium says

    January 23, 2012 at 8:15 pm

    Hello Kevin, This past fall you devoted time on your blog about forcing various bulbs. Being a curious soul and feeling the need to try something new, I decided to force paperwhites and hyacinths. (yes, I plied the paperwhites and myself with gin) Long story short, the stunning paperwhites were given as gifts over the holidays and my neighbors were so appreciative. And now for the hyacinths…I started them in my old house’s fall-out shelter in October. I brought them to a sunny window last week and they are blooming beautifully! AND, I can’t stop going over and smelling them. I had no idea how fragrant they are, very rose-like. I’ve had them in my perennial garden for years, but guess I never stopped to smell the roses. Now, when they are spent, how should I handle them and can I plant them in my garden? If so, what is the best time? Thank you so much for my spreading the joy this winter. Pam

  18. 18

    Kevin Lee Jacobs says

    January 24, 2012 at 8:14 am

    Pamdemonium – You just mentioned one of the greatest reasons to go through the trouble of forcing hyacinths for indoor bloom: the fragrance is lost outdoors! Like you, I can never pass my hyacinths without sticking my nose in the flowers. And since the bulbs are at eye level here (I have them on glass shelves in various window gardens) it’s easy to appreciate the individual, gracefully ruffled trumpets which open one by one — until they form their legendary cluster of bloom.

    If you continue to care for your hyacinths after their flowers fade, the bulbs can have a future in the garden outdoors. Read this post, which addresses the after-care of hardy bulbs.

  19. 19

    Laura says

    January 24, 2012 at 11:19 pm

    i haven’t found it popping up randomly (unlike some other plants). It has spread within a 2-3 foot radius.

  20. 20

    Kathy says

    January 29, 2012 at 4:43 pm

    Kevin, I would love to winter sow the Sentimental Blue Balloon Flower but I’m having trouble locating the seed. Do you know of a source?

    I really enjoy your blog. Here in Northwest Ohio your blog is food for the gardener’s soul in winter.

    Kathy

  21. 21

    Kevin Lee Jacobs says

    January 29, 2012 at 8:01 pm

    Kathy – Your sweet comment made my day!

    Unfortunately I don’t remember from whom I bought my ‘Sentimental Blue’ seeds. But I have located one source for them: http://www.2bseeds.com/balloonflowerindex.shtml
    Other sources, including American Meadows, seem to offer only roots of the plant. Strange to think that seeds should be so hard to find, right?

  22. 22

    Kathy says

    January 30, 2012 at 10:36 am

    I did eventually find them too at 2bseeds.com and I ordered a package. Thanks for the information. I’ve been readin your blog for quite some time now. I have a wood three shelf plant light system in the basement so I always start seedlings but I like your idea of the winter sow system, so I’m giving it a shot too. About 8 years ago I lost a flat to the dreaded damping off disease so I bake my soil in the oven at 325 for 30 minutes in a large turkey roaster. I use the gigantic bag of miracle grow potting soil from Cost Co ($11), so I don’t have to repot from a soilless mix. I’ve never lost a seedling since and the fertizlizer in the potting soil doesn’t seem to be too strong for the seedlings. I am an avid gardener but a lazy one. It’s taking me longer to key in messages because (Riley), my border collie, lab mix stepped on my laptop and broke the G key. So, if some my words look funny, add in the G. So far I’m proofing what I write.

  23. 23

    Kevin Lee Jacobs says

    January 30, 2012 at 11:18 am

    Kathy – Well, your G seems to be working most of the time!

    You might do an experiment with your platycodon seeds, sowing some indoors under lights and some outdoors, using the winter-sowing method. Would be fun to learn how each group fares.

    As for sterilizing potting mix, that is a good idea when you are planting seeds indoors. I imagine it’s cheaper than buying already-sterilized “seed-starting” mix. I’m no stranger to baking soil here — routinely do it when I want to use compost from my compost bins for the the purpose of growing houseplants. And I use the same method as you — placing the compost in a big, covered roasting pan. So easy, and the smell, as it “cooks,” contrary to popular belief, is not bad at all.

  24. 24

    Marissa Reynolds says

    December 16, 2012 at 10:53 am

    I just want to tell you how much I love your newsletter! I love all the gardening info. you provide to a newbie like me. Thank you so much!!!! Happy Holidays!!!

  25. 25

    Kevin Lee Jacobs says

    December 16, 2012 at 12:58 pm

    Thank you, Marissa. Happy holidays to you, too!

  26. 26

    Dottie says

    February 24, 2013 at 12:25 pm

    Kevin, Glad you are enjoying Florida. I bet it is beautiful. I have been a garen enthusiast for many years. I have a large garden that I started when it was just rock, poorsoil and small bolders that I broke many tools trying to remove. I love the balloon flower. I used to have it in blue. Somehow it didn’t make it in these harsh, cruel winters in Torrington Conn. I planted a plug of while balloon flower and it comes back every year. I will try your great idea about winter sowing. It sounds like fun. I have collected many seeds of cardial flower and can you tell me how to plant these. They are so tiny. It looks like a fine sand. Would really appreciate any ideas. Thank you. Dottie

  27. 27

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  29. 29

    Shannon says

    August 3, 2014 at 12:17 pm

    I’m not sure how to deadhead the Sentimental Blue Balloon Flower plant. Do I just pinch off the dried up bloom or should I pinch off the entire bloom, like deadheading a rose bush? Also, if grown in a large pot, is there anything special I should be doing? I have two in pots and one in the ground. Thanking you in advance for your plant knowledge, it’s appreciated.

  30. 30

    Mary says

    November 15, 2014 at 9:02 am

    After reading your column about winter -sowing balloon flower seeds this summer,I have saved many seeds. But don’t have milk cartons. How about using plastic plant pots no longer being used? If not any other ideas? Thank you!

  31. 31

    Elizabeth says

    July 12, 2015 at 12:57 pm

    I chuckled a bit when I read Kathy’s message inquiring as to where the find the seeds to grow this plant. You see, I noticed this spring that I had a mystery plant growing in my garden. I knew I hadn’t planted it, and it started growing before I started working on my garden this season. Well, the first blossom opened up today, and it is a Sentimental Blue. I have no idea how this beauty ended up in my garden, but I absolutely love it.
    Can I harvest seeds from the fruit of this flower? Or can I transplant when it is time for me to move?
    Thanks 🙂

  32. 32

    Belle says

    April 24, 2016 at 10:55 pm

    I have tried for years to get rid of creeping Charlie with no luck. I’ve tried natural ways and the dreaded round-up products. Did the vinegar and pinching off work?

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