Tired of circular flowers? You've found the right blooms. The puffed, squarish, hinged blossoms of snapdragons line short spires that reach vertically in sometimes straight, sometimes corkscrewed ways. Up close, the flowers resemble a dragon head, ready to snap at any moment. Above these brightly colored towers, another guardian of the garden, the dragonfly, can often be found patrolling for incoming insects. For centuries, gardeners have taken advantage of the imposing appearance of snapdragons to ward off evil spirits, even to guard castle gates.

Snapdragons are a late-blooming annual, bringing fresh, beautiful color to the late summer and early fall garden. They make an elegant cut flower, and the seed pods are surprisingly interesting, they resemble little skulls.

Growing Instructions: Start indoors 8 weeks before last frost. Sow 3-5 seeds per pot, slightly pressing them into the soil to keep them from washing away. Once seedlings have sprouted, thin out the weakest, leaving one per pot. Transplant outdoors in fertile, well-drained soil. Semi-hardy plants will continue to grow and bloom beyond the first fall frost.