a need-to-know basis GROWING UP

Spacing, 9” to 12”. Height, 6” (dwarf) to 36”. Coolweather, short-lived perennial. Plant from transplant. Full sun; afternoon shade extends blooming. Rich soil: Add two inches of compost plus native wood ash and several cups of pastured poultry manure. Fertilize at first blooms with a foliar spray of liquid seaweed and fish emulsion. Keep soil moist until established and throughout the blooming cycle. Blooms stop in May due to heat.

Snapdragons grow quickly once established. Take cuttings for flower arrangements as desired. Once flowers on a stem fade or fall off, clip the flower to promote new growth. Snapdragons have a lovely aroma, a floral perfume. Cuttings last in a vase for many days. Change the water daily and make sure the flowers get plenty of sunlight to keep them bright. Once plants wither in May heat, till the garden space and plant something else.

While bees do indeed pollinate snapdragons, only large bees are strong enough to pry open the flower’s jaws. Big, burly bees fly among the blooms, pry them open and climb inside. The bees disappear into one flower, reappear covered in pollen, then climb into the next. This work of bees among the snapdragons is one of the true delights of the garden. But they can’t perform this trick with “butterfly” varieties, because the jaws don’t open.

As an option to dining out, many local restaurants and bakeries offer delicious options to go, so the ability to create the menu of your dreams for you and your sweetheart is all too easy. Since the food is taken care of, the only task left is setting the scene. Here are some ideas and tips on how to not only design a romantic table setting, but to create an alluring ambiance and have yourselves a lovely evening.

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