Balloons in the garden
Wordless Wednesday
The Balloon flower is a pretty flower once it becomes established in your garden.
I have three of this bluish purple kind, as well as two white balloon flower plants and one pink balloon flower plant. Yes, I love balloon flowers. Can you tell?
In the lower right corner I think that you can see a bud forming. The petals are folded in and as the bud grows it looks like a hollow ball or a balloon. When it finally opens the flower appears as above.
Unfortunately the flower, once it’s bloomed, doesn’t last long – perhaps a day at most. The flower dies quickly and droops like a wet rag.
I’d just finished picking off a bunch of dead flowers before I took this photo. That’s why there’s so many flowerless stalks. When a dead bloom is plucked off it’s stalk a milky white substance drips from the damaged stalk to heal the wound.
August 9th, 2007 at 4:09 am
They are beautiful! Reminds me about one of my favourite wildflowers; harebell.
August 9th, 2007 at 6:09 am
I have this coloured balloon flower which I love. I have successfully separated it and now have three plants dotted about the garden. I will be looking out for different coloured balloon flowers.
Sara from farmingfriends
August 9th, 2007 at 11:51 am
I absolutely adore the purple balloon flower. I use to have one in my garden. I shall have to revamp next season and include this purple beauty!
~smiles~