Antirrhinum ‘Cheerio’ is a cheerful mix of bright, vibrant colours that puts on a wonderful display all summer long. Each plant produces a dozen or more flower spikes making it an excellent choice for beds, borders or containers. The lovely display will please the bees and make excellent cut flowers too, so you can enjoy them both outdoors and indoors. In milder parts of the country plants may return for another year, but they're best treated as a half-hardy annual for a reliable splash of summer colour.
🌸 Flowering: July to September
📏 Height: up to 45cm
🌿 treat as a Half-hardy Annual (in mild areas may grow as a Perennial)
Sow: in spring in pots or modules, lightly cover with perlite or vermiculite & seal in a plastic bag to retain moisture. Germination usually takes 1 to 2 we at around 18°C. Uncover once seedlings appear. Alternatively, sow in a prepared seed bed during May once the temperature is unlikely to drop much below 10°C; in the open germination usually takes 2 to 3 weeks.
Grow: harden off & plant out after all risk of frost has passed: space at 20-30cm apart. They like a sunny spot with well-drained soil. In a mild area plants may survive to flower again the following year.
Enjoy: the bright flower spikes provide months of colour and are produced in abundance, with each plant carrying a succession of blooms throughout summer. Whether you're filling borders with colour or cutting stems for the house, 'Cheerio' is an easy way to brighten the garden.
🏡 In your garden
• Wildlife gardens
• Cottage and informal garden
• City and courtyard gardens
• Pots and container
• Flower borders and beds
• Cutting gardens
✂️ Cut flower
• Fresh vase life of 7 to 14 days
• Strong upright stems add height to arrangements
• Keep stes upright after cutting, as snapdragons are geotropic and the flower spikes will curve upwards if laid horizontally
🐝 Wildlife friendly
Especially attractive to bumblebees, which are heavy enough to push open the flowers and reach the nectar
💡 Did you know?
The name Antirrhinum comes from the Greek words meaning "like a nose", referring to the shape of the flowers. Personally, I think "Snapdragon" suits them much better. Gently squeeze the sides of an open flower and you'll soon see where that much-loved common name comes from!
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