| A Park High Performer! With the Astra series comes a whole new era in Balloon Flowers, with so many improvements you won't believe you're growing the same species! Higher germination rates, better branching, more blooms, richer color, and better staying power are just the highlights of Astra's merits! It even has double flowers -- nearly twice the petal power of single-flowered varieties! Grow this beautiful perennial for yourself this season and discover just how easy and attractive Balloon Flowers can be! The good news begins the moment you plant the seeds. Unlike earlier varieties, Astra boasts a whopping 90% germination rate, so you get more plants from every packet of seeds. And such lovely plants they are -- compact yet well-branched, reaching 6 to 12 inches high, 6 to 8 inches wide, and just begging to be placed in your best flowerpots, windowboxes, and hanging baskets! Tolerant of full sun or light shade, they grow quickly and are wonderfully consistent across the series for bloomtime and height. And then the flowers arrive! A full 3 inches across and double, they sport thicker petals than older Balloon Flower varieties, which help them stay fresh and attractive even longer. And because the plant is so densely-branched, you can expect a bumper crop of fluffy blue blooms every summer from Astra Double Blue! The flowers begin with the first warm weather and don't quit till fall, blooming continuously (rather than in waves) for months! If you like the looks of Astra Double Blue, consider a colorful planting of the whole series -- Double White, Double Lavender, plus single blue, pink, and white. Or just plant the double-flowered mix of all 3 colors! Zones 4-9. Pkt is 20 seeds. |
