Bright snapdragon flowers bloom profusely throughout cool weather in intensely saturated colors (almost every hue) and are real standouts in either the spring or fall garden. The flowers start blooming at the bottom of the stalk and work their way up, making for a long period of bloom. Although snapdragons tend to stop blooming in heat of mid-summer, if you keep them watered, they will perk up and carry your garden through the fall.

Snapdragons are undemanding and can grow in a wide selection of colors and heights. They are at their best in cool weather. They can repeat bloom throughout the season but do best in the cool of spring and fall and throughout the winter in mild climates. Deadheading can increase the number of buds that are set, but since the flower stalks begin blooming from the bottom up, they have a fairly long bloom duration anyway.

In most areas, they are commonly grown as annuals. Even when they do overwinter, they never seem to bloom as robustly as they did in their first year, which leads many people to think they are biennial.

However, snapdragons are most often either started indoors, 8 to 10 weeks before the last frost date, grown from cuttings. When starting from seed, simply press the seed on the surface of the potting soil. Snapdragon seeds need light to germinate.

There are tall varieties and dwarf varieties and just about everything in between. Check the label or packet of the variety you are choosing.

Dwarf plants mature at a height of about 6 to 15 inches and form dense, bushy plants with lots of flower stalks.

Tall varieties tend to be less bushy and spikier in habit, reaching a height of 30 to 48 inches.