Tips For Growing Gypsophila Elegans
 (Read 500+ times)
By Glory Lennon
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Gypsophila Elegans more commonly goes by the name Baby’s Breath. Even if you don’t know it by name you, no doubt, have seen it unless you’ve been living all your life in a hole in the ground. Baby’s Breath is a favorite of the florist trade and used prodigiously in all floral arrangements, bridal bouquets, boutonnieres and tucked in around bunches of flowers both elegant and simple. It is basically used as filler because of its extremely billowy and delicate airiness which looks lovely with almost any flower fresh or died.
Being Baby’s Breath has tiny, virtually insignificant flowers compared to long stemmed Roses, Oriental Lilies, Chrysanthemums and Gerbera Daisies, it lacks in importance. But that is not to say this is deserved. Without Baby’s Breath other more showy flowers don’t appear to their best advantage. Therefore, Baby’s Breath needs to be looked at more carefully and appreciated in its own right.
Baby’s Breath is the moniker of over one hundred annual and perennial plants in the same Gypsophila genus, natives to Eastern Europe, Asia and North Africa. Some of these grow as tall as 4 feet high and others as low as three inches off the ground. With so many in this group one might get a bit confused. But as it turns out most of the Gypsophila sold in seed form through seed catalogues and at garden centers is the particularly showy annual Gypsophila Elegans. It is usually the perennial Gypsophila Paniculata which is sold as plants ready for planting in any perennial border.
Gypsophila Elegans grows upright 1-2 feet tall and as wide and is quite drought tolerant. The flowers are single form, one half inch across, abundant and typically white but there are cultivars available in pink and rose. Its leaves are 3 inches long, lance shaped and fleshy. Unfortunately, it is a very short lived annual dying after only 5-6 weeks. Successive planting every 3-4 weeks should ensure never being without it during the growing season. The tiny seeds germinate within 10-15 days and the plants grow quickly from there.
The name Gypsophila Elegans, as any well versed gardener can tell you, means, “Chalk lover with a willowy aspect”. This describes it perfectly both in where it likes to grow and how it looks in the garden. With this knowledge you may guess it prefers to grow in a soil rich in calcium or gypsum. It also prefers the soil light textured and neutral to slightly alkaline. Adding lime to very acidic soil will greatly improve its chances of it liking your garden. Adding dried and crushed eggshells around the base will not only provide it with the calcium it craves but will deter slugs and snails from feeding on it as they are not suicidal enough to attempt to cross over the sharp edges of the eggshells.
Gypsophila Elegans needs to be on the dry side preferring well draining soil with ample organic matter. If water should pool around it for any given time it is apt to develop a black slim around the lower stems called Stem Rot. This makes the plant wilt but it is easily avoided by placing the plant in raised beds, in pots or you may simply plant it on a small mound of soil if your soil tends to be wet. Baby’s Breath prefers to grow in full sun although it does quite well in as little as 4 hours of full sun.
Its airy countenance makes Baby's Breath a great dried flower too. Before the flowers fully open cut the whole thing and hang the bunch upside down in a dark, well ventilated space. It dries swiftly and easily and lasts through many years. It can get brittle so handle carefully when using it in dried flower arrangements.
Baby’s Breath in the garden mixes quite well with almost all annuals and perennials. It works well in cutting gardens, rockeries, container gardens, annual beds and perennial borders. There is no other plant with so much appeal as a companion plant. Everything looks better with Baby’s Breath around it. Gypsophila Elegans need not be just a favorite of florists any longer. It has finally earned a spot in and amongst your favorite flowers.
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Author Bio Box: Glory Lennon
 Visit http://www.helium.com/user/32782 for more fascinating gardening lessons, amusing short stories and intriguing novel excerpts.
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