Gomphrena- A Lot to Love in a Little Bloom

I have started planting seeds of some of my favorite summer flowers,
and I would like to introduce you to one that produces oodles and oodles of blooms throughout the summer and fall. It's Gomphrena!
These are petite clover-like flowers that on first glance, can be overlooked, but look again and you will see they are perfect for adding a touch of sweetness to bouquets, corsages and flower arrangements.
Gomphrena or globe amaranth (I like the common name better!) comes in a variety of colors including rose pink, bicolor pink, purple, salmon and red.

While not the "star" of most floral designs, it definitely adds a cheery note as shown in the centerpiece above that also includes antique green hydrangeas, zinnias and Majolica spray roses, and the Maid of Honor bouquet below that has purple gomphrena, yellow Gerber daisies, and Kermit mums.

It's also a great flower for detail work like boutonnieres and corsages

Gomphrena is a flower that doesn't beg for your attention, but is quite happy making the other flowers around it look "good".

AND it is a wonderful flower to grow in your own garden too! A great source for seeds is Johnny's Selected Seeds, and if you live in the Raleigh-Cary area, Campbell Road Nursery sells the plants by the six pack starting in mid April or so.