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13/11/2007




my photos

STATICE

I remember as a kid my mum saying how much she disliked Statice in dried flower arrangements, so when a garden magazine was giving away freebie Statice seeds on the front cover I was in two minds about growing them, but I am pleased I did, I really like them. They are really easy to grow from seed, appear to be drought tolerant and flower for months on end, they are still in flower now in November. Established plants also survive in the ground over winter, the foliage does die down a little but they manage to spring back into life in the summer, well they do down here in the South.

The top photo is of plants I grew this year from seed they include some unusual colours such as salmon pink, orange-yellow, pink, carmine and blue, the blue being shown in the second photo.

The 'everlasting' blooms on strong wiry stems hold their colours superbly after drying. Pick when foliage is quite dry and flowers are well coloured. Tie in small bunches and hang upside down in a dry, well ventilated place until really dry.

11 comments:

Naturegirl said...

I have always seen these everlasting
flowers in stores already dried and bundled but now I see the garden variety that are so lovely! The color my favorite in the garden! hugs NG

Anonymous said...

I've seen that before in arrangements but never seen it grown in a garden. It looks very nice, I love the deep colouring it has.
At the moment, we still have a little colour in the garden. I think the blooms are confused by the weather. Where they would normally be down by now, the warmer climate has confused them. My clamatis is back in full flower. Its by the gate next to our wheely bin and I swear it trys to strangle me every time I go to the bin... as if telling me to put it somewhere more glamorous than the bin corner of the garden! :o)

Anonymous said...

That's a lovely flower, and blue is my favourite colour. Needless to say this is another one on my seed list for next year!

Threadspider said...

Everlasting flowers are lovely aren't they? They are on my allotment growing list for next season. I hope some of mine are blue-it's one of my favourite flower colours.

Sandra Evertson said...

Beautiful blog and your photos are Gorgeous!
Sandra Evertson

Cowboys and Custard Mercantile said...

I would love to grow these Louise..
I remember my mother having bunches of these drying in our airing cupboard along with lavender when I was a child.
Michelex

Suzie Sews At DOTTY RED said...

I love these. Funny I remember when about twenty years ago and dried flowers had just come very poular they put them in eveything...so I can see a dislike starting. They are at their best when planted in a natural enviroment...but then again so are most things. Beautiful picture.
Suzie Sews

Anonymous said...

I have a huge row of Statice still in bloom on my lottie here in Teignmouth Devon

this is my patch said...

Thanks Jean for visiting my blog, I will just have to envisage your lovely statice on your allotment down in delightful Devon, I am definitely having more in the garden next year, it just looks after itself, it is great. I do want to investigate into growing more everlasting flowers next year.

Joanna said...

Plants that flower until november are great and a lovely colour blue.

I have been away from blogs as I had my parents staying last week.

Bev and Ollie "O" said...

If you like statice, you should try verbena. someone introduced me to this, it is cheap and buy it small as by summer it grows large and lovely and leaves little baby plants around that you can relocate. I love it.x