I just realized that it is time for me to start my snapdragon seeds indoors, The mere thought of snapdragons carries me back back to my grandmother’s garden.

Immediately by the back door, my grandmother always grew a mass of colorful snapdragons. Almost 75 years ago, I still remember asking my grandma how this flower got its name. She coaxed me: “Bend low.” With her fingers, she would pinch a flower and say, Put your finger inside this tiny mouth.” Then, she would release the flower, and “Snap!” The snapdragon would squeeze my finger with a gentle bite.

Several years later, I began to unravel my thoughts about that experience and what I know about dragons. I wrote the following ditty:

Snapdragons – A Painted Parade
By Jacki Kellum

Watch the painted parade,
With bold and biting dragons,
Teasing all the toddlers—even me!

They’re really just pretending.
Everyday’s a New Year,
A fun and festive firework jamboree.

I feel sure that my grandmother’s snapdragons were the heirloom plants Tetra. They were about a foot high. My grandmother was the quintessential cottage gardener. Her flower gardens were massive, and she saved her seeds at the top of her pan

Several years later, I was enchanted by a bouquet of larger, dark red snapdragons, and I have vowed to grow those in my own garden:

Madame Butterfly Red Snapdragons
Image Credit: Eden Brothers

Madame Butterfly is the Queen of Snapdragons. She grows to be  24″ – 30″ tall.

“Frequently referred to as azalea snapdragons, Madame Butterfly Red Snapdragons are cherished for their delightful fragrance, rich velvet red hue, and enduring double blossoms. Thanks to their abundant petals, this F1 hybrid poses a challenge for insects to pollinate, resulting in longer-lasting blooms in vases compared to single-flowered varieties. The double petals of Madame Butterfly create lush, fluffy blossoms reminiscent of a Victorian aesthetic.” Eden Brothers