‘Gypsophila Paniculata Snowflake’

Why sow every year, when you can just sow once?

Although I’m a lover of seed sowing, many plants have annual & perennial varieties & I’m moving over to perennials for sustainability reasons where I can. It just doesn’t make sense to me to sow something every year, using all the water & resources needed to care for that seed when it’s perfectly happy perennial sister is already growing in the garden from a seed I planted a few years earlier. Take this Gypsophila for example. I used to plant the annual ‘Gypsophila Elegans Covent Garden’ every year, until I discovered this ‘Gypsophila Paniculata Snowflake’ which the pollinators absolutely adore.

They’re waiting for each flower to open though, that’s possibly the only catch, the annual flowers earlier, April to June whereas this is opening as I’m posting & hoverflies are literally on each flower as it opens! Gypsophila Elegans is ‘Showy Baby’s Breath’ & Gypsophila Paniculata is ‘Common Baby’s Breath’. If you know of any summer weddings in the next couple of years, why not grow some for button holes, as Paniculata is what most florists tend to use?

Maybe it’s the Yorkshire Lass in me, but I really appreciate this delicate looking selfless soul, that helps to feed those pollinators but obviously has some true grit!

Do you have a preference? Or have you swapped an annual for a perennial that you’re happy with? I’d love to know

@just.me.in.my.garden