Although the Latin botanical names are the best way to talk about flowers, since common names vary so widely, some common names are still a lot of fun and definitely worth knowing. Balloon flower ...

An interesting and well-behaved perennial, the balloon flower, Platycodon grandiflorus, acquired its common name due to the resemblance of its buds to a hot air balloon. Before its buds unfold and ...

My friend Barbara in Roslyn admired my bright blue Balloon flower (Platycodon grandiflorus) and wished for some for her backyard border. As I had large clumps that I started from seed a few years ...

• The balloon flower (Platycodon grandiflorus) is an herbaceous perennial that emerges in late spring. Its common name comes from the unopened flower buds, which resemble inflated balloons. The ...

This is definitely the year of “I won’t bloom where I was planted,” at my homestead. Tall purple (not wild, but acting like it) garden phlox everywhere — not to be outdone by blue balloon flower ...