Gypsy baby's breath's light, with its airy texture and petite white or pink flowers, make it a wonderful addition to the garden. This annual flower is native to the Caucasus and is related to the carnations. Because ordinary baby's breath cultivars bloom for only 6 weeks and also usually need staking, you may want to try Gypsy, a new award-winning cultivar.
Advertisement
Description of of gypsy baby's breath: Annual baby's breath grows to 11/2 feet tall, forming an airy bush with many forked branches covered with flowers. Although the flowers, up to 1/2 inch in diameter, are usually white, there are pink, rose, and carmine forms. In contrast, Gypsy grows into a neat, self-branching and self-supporting mound to 12 or 14 inches high. Its semi-double, light pink flowers will bloom for an extended period.
How to grow gypsy baby's breath: Grow in full sun in well-drained, lime-rich garden soil. They grow rapidly and will come into bloom about 8 weeks after germination.
Propagating gypsy baby's breath: By seed. Sow seeds outdoors in place after the danger of frost has passed. For earlier bloom, sow indoors in peat pots 2 to 3 weeks before planting out, then plant -- pot and all. (They grow so rapidly, it is difficult to separate the seedlings, so plant them in a clump.) Germination takes 10 to 15 days at 70 degrees Fahrenheit.
Uses for gypsy baby's breath: Baby's breath is effective in borders or cottage gardens, and Gypsy works particularly well in the front of the garden or mixed flower pot. Taller forms of annual baby's breath also make superb cut flowers. It is used primarily as a filler to give unity to arrangements with strong vertical or horizontal lines.
Gypsy baby's breath related species: Gypsophila paniculata is a perennial and widely planted. Rapidly gaining popularity is the creeping form of perennial baby's breath, Gypsophylla repens, which looks particularly handsome cascading over stone retaining walls.
Scientific name for gypsy baby's breath: Gypsophila elegans, Gypsy
Advertisement