BALLOON FLOWER
Envy may be a sin, but it is also one of mankind’s most popular hobbies. Every day we envy each other’s homes, gadgets, cars and clothes. In this respect I am no better than anyone else. At least once a week during the growing season I suffer from a bout of plant envy. If I were unscrupulous, I would steal plants. When I am impoverished, I suffer in silence. If I am doing business as usual, I generally make a note in my garden diary, wait until the end-of-season plant sales and try to find the object of my fascination. If I am successful, I grow the sale plant until it is of sufficient size to divide, split it into pieces, cultivate the divisions and divide again when the time comes. Eventually I my garden is so full of the coveted plants that others can envy me.
For years I envied a gardener down the street who had an impressive array of dwarf balloon flower or Platycodon grandiflorus Mariesii in her front border. These foot-high lovelies bloom in the late summer or early fall, with characteristic balloon-shaped buds that open into five-petaled, bell-shaped flowers. The blooms, which are almost flat when fully open, are a vibrant blue-purple and seem to last a long time. Of course, things that you covet have a habit of confronting you at every turn, so I can’t swear to the long-lasting part.
Several years ago, I found a balloon flower on sale. It wasn’t the Mariesii variety, but I was desperate, and it was only two dollars, and I bought it anyway. The plant that I acquired so cheaply was ‘Hakone White’, a tall, double-flowered variety with white blooms. I planted ‘Hakone White’ and it succeeded very well–at least for the first few years. Then something unexpected–at least by me–happened. The little maple tree that was growing many feet from the bed where I planted the balloon flower had a growth spurt and suddenly the balloon flower was in light shade during a part of the day. It didn’t seem to mind terribly and continued to flourish. Now, a few years later, the maple has continued to flourish but the balloon flower has begun to show signs of disliking the encroaching shade. The blooms are fewer and the already lanky stalks are lankier. I knew it was time to return the plant to the sun, which I did, swapping its spot with that of a ligularia that was burning up in a too-sunny spot. Hopefully next season both the balloon flower and the ligularia will be happier.
In the meantime, I finally found a Mariesii-type balloon flower at a plant sale. I snapped it up. It is just like the ones down the street, so in a few years I will have a display to rival my neighbor’s. While I was scouting out the perfect spot for my new acquisition, I happened to think that if, for some reason, I couldn’t find the perfect spot; I could probably find the perfect pot. With its short stature and bright flowers, my Mariesii would make a great container subject. Other balloon flowers that are perfect for containers include: ‘Astra White’, ‘Astra Pink’ and ‘Sentimental Blue’. The Astra series plants are about ten inches tall, the blue cultivar is even shorter, at six to eight inches. ‘Fairy Snow’ is another compact white variety that is veined in blue.
Balloon flowers are great plants no matter where you put them. If the ‘Hakone White’ takes hold in its new home, I would like to add ‘Shell Pink’, a tall variety with pale pink blooms. Hybridizers, especially in Europe, have taken to Platycodon grandiflorus, so there are a number of hybrids on the market. Lovers of double-flowered varieties can rejoice in ‘Double Blue’ and ‘Double White’.
Platycodons need sun and the usual well-drained soil. If you plant them this fall and nothing comes up next spring, don’t be discouraged. They are generally among the last plants to come up in the spring, but will come on strong once they decide to emerge from the soil. The taller varieties often need staking, so put up your stakes and string or grow-through plant supports early, so as not to disturb the somewhat temperamental stalks later.
If you have children, grandchildren or neighbors’ children who are into gardening, they will love the “balloons” on the ripening flower buds. Like snapdragons, they invite touching, though children should be cautioned to touch them and all flowers gently.
You can usually find balloon flowers in local nurseries and if you are lucky, like I was, you might even find them on sale. Mail order sources abound, including Forestfarm, 990 Tetherow Road, Williams, OR 97544, (541) 846-7269 or www.forestfarm.com.