About 1,000 years ago, or in 1967, to be specific, the Fifth Dimension, a pop group, recorded “Up, Up, and Away,” a song about bout love and ballooning. The refrain goes, “Up, up and away–My beautiful, my beautiful balloon.” It was a huge hit, combining the ideas of love, hot air, and rising above earthly … Read more
Balloons lift spirits just about any time. On hot, mid-summer days, balloon flowers (Platycodon grandiflorus) provide equal elevating power. Right now in my garden, both blue and white varieties are covered with the puffed, rounded buds that give the plants their common name. They are in the process of opening into the flattened, bell-like flowers … Read more
Lately the balloon flower—Platycodon grandiflorus—has been stalking me. As I wander through garden centers in search of mid-summer bargains, the inflated buds pop out from the pallets. A neighbor’s border overflows with a blue-flowered variety. Last week, on a visit to the main garden of the Cloisters museum in Upper Manhattan, I saw a giant … Read more
