ANTIRRHINUM OPUS RED BEAUTY F1

Brilliant red 'snap' which gleams in the sun or shade. Crowded bold flowers demand admiration and kids will love the wide open 'bunny rabbits' and there's a faint perfume too! 2-2'6".

Antirrhinum or Snapdragons delight gardeners with their showy, butterfly attracting flowers and their low-maintenance requirements. Most snapdragons are grown as annuals since they tend to die back after heavy frost, but they will grow as short-lived perennials in warmer areas. Like most spring-blooming flowers, Antirrhinums are best sown indoors approximately 10 weeks before the expected last frost date in spring.

Antirrhinums thrive in the cooler temperatures of late spring and are happiest in sunny locations with rich, well-drained soil. Under favourable conditions, snapdragons will self-sow.

Sow Antirrhinum seeds in early spring, from February to April. Sow onto the surface of a moist, free-draining seed compost, into plug trays to prevent root disturbance or into seed trays. Cover the trays with polythene to retain moisture until the first seedlings are visible. Germination normally takes 10 to 21 days at 18-21oC.

After 5 weeks, when large enough to handle, the young plants will be ready for transplanting into individual pots where they can grow on until they are nicely established. Harden off before planting out when all danger of frost has passed.