Blazing like fireballs in the sunny summer-to-fall annual garden, this 'Strawberry Fields' Gomphrena (Globe Amaranth) is a carefree, long-blooming, colorful joy no garden should be without.
The 1- to 1½-inch blooms appear at the top of very long, extra-sturdy olive-green stems, so that when they open, they bob in the summer sun well above the foliage on 2-foot plants. 'Strawberry Fields' Gomphrena is long-lasting in the garden, they are also very reliable in the vase, keeping their color for more than a week. And 'Strawberry Fields' Gomphrena are unexcelled as Everlastings, where their huge, round shape and strong color add a welcome change of pace from the grasses and autumnal tones of many dried flowers and foliage.
Easy to grow in the sun-drenched garden, 'Strawberry Fields' Gomphrena is wonderfully resistant to both heat and drought, keeping its blooms and its fresh foliage looking neat and colorful through the worst excesses of August. A mass planting is a fabulous sight, and this Globe Amaranth also belongs in the cutting garden, where you can snip as many of the plentiful blooms as you need to fill your vases. To dry, simply cut the stem at the desired height, trim off any foliage, and hang the flower upside-down in a well-ventilated, dry, somewhat cool location.
