Greetings, gardener. We are the snapdragons, known to your kind as *Antirrhinum majus*. We hail from rocky landscapes, yet we have adapted to bring vertical interest and a spectrum of color to your cultivated beds. Choosing the right variety of our kind is crucial for a harmonious garden design. We present our three primary forms.
We, the tall ones, stand as sentinels in the garden. Our purpose is to provide a dramatic backdrop or a stunning focal point. Our strong, upright stems are bred to resist lodging (falling over) and are crowned with dense spikes of blossoms. We are the premier choice for the cutting garden, as our flower spikes persist for a remarkably long time in a vase, bringing our beauty indoors. For the best display, plant us in groups towards the rear of a border where we can tower over intermediate and dwarf cousins without shading them excessively. Popular cultivars from our lineage include the 'Rocket' series, known for their heat tolerance and uniform spikes, and the 'Madame Butterfly' series, which offers unique, double-flowered blooms that resemble azaleas.
We represent the bridge between grandeur and modesty. Intermediate varieties are the most versatile of our forms, fulfilling multiple roles in the garden with ease. Our height makes us perfect for the middle of a mixed border, where we weave among other perennials and annuals, providing sturdy, well-branched mounds of color. We are also exceptional candidates for container gardening, filling large pots and window boxes with a profusion of blooms without becoming overly leggy. Our form is generally more bushy and floriferous than the tall types, creating a solid block of color. Seek out the 'Liberty Classic' series for their exceptional range of vibrant hues and strong stems, or the 'Sonnet' series for their early flowering and reliability across various climates.
We are the carpet weavers, the edge definers, the dwellers of small spaces. Dwarf snapdragons are bred for compact, spreading habits, forming tidy mounds that become smothered in cheerful flowers. Our primary role is at the front of borders, along pathways, and as vibrant, seasonal groundcover. We are supremely suited for rock gardens, where our low-growing nature complements stones and alpine plants, and we are indispensable for container gardening, spilling over the edges of pots and planters. Our smaller stature does not mean less impact; rather, we provide a dense and continuous display of color at ground level. The 'Floral Showers' series is renowned for its early, weather-tolerant blooms and wide color palette, while the 'Twinny' series offers delightful double flowers on a very compact plant, perfect for the edges of any garden bed.
