Antirrhinum 'Lucky Lips' Seeds

Antirrhinum majus 'Lucky Lips' is a variety that refuses to be ignored. Unlike standard single-colour snapdragons, this beauty produces crisp, snowy white blooms with a distinct, vivid purple-magenta "mouth."

The contrast is striking, looking almost as if the flower has applied a bold shade of lipstick! It grows on sturdy, upright stems and adds a fun, bi-colour twist to your cottage garden beds and borders. It is sophisticated enough for adult bouquets but fun enough to delight children.

Why Your Garden Needs 'Lucky Lips'

We love this variety because it breaks up the blocks of solid colour in a garden. The white petals help reflect light and brighten up a border, while the purple lip ties it in with other cool-toned plants. It is a real "designer" flower that looks far more difficult to grow than it actually is.

It is also a fantastic cut flower. The stems are robust and bushy, especially if you "pinch" them out when young, providing you with vases full of long-lasting blooms from mid-summer right through to the first frosts.

Understanding the Plant: What is a Half-Hardy Annual?

Antirrhinum is strictly a short-lived perennial, but in the UK we almost always grow it as a Half-Hardy Annual.

This means we sow it fresh every spring to get the most vigorous display. While it can't handle deep freezes, it is actually tougher than people give it credit for. If you have a mild winter and a sheltered spot, don't be surprised if your plants survive to flower a second year!

Growing Guide: How to Sow and Grow

Snapdragons are easy to grow, but they have one specific requirement to get started.

🌱 Germination (The Light Trick):
These seeds need light to germinate. Sow them on the surface of moist compost and press them down gently. Do not cover them with soil (or use only the finest dusting of vermiculite). Keep them warm (around 20-24°C) and moist, and they should appear within 10-20 days.

Where to Sow:
Start them indoors in trays from January to March for the earliest flowers. You can also sow them in autumn (August/September) and overwinter them in a greenhouse for massive, early plants next spring.

Care While Growing:
The "Pinch": When the seedlings are about 3 inches tall, nip out the top pair of leaves. It feels scary to do, but this encourages the plant to branch out, giving you a bushier plant with many more flower spikes instead of just one tall stem.

Plant Specifications

Here is a quick reference guide to the key features, helping you decide if these distinctive blooms are the right fit for your garden.

My Recommended Garden Companions

'Lucky Lips' looks incredible when paired with plants that pick out either the white of the petals or the purple of the "lips." Here are my top choices from our shop:

• ☁️ Ammi majus (Bishop's Flower): The airy white lace of Ammi perfectly matches the crisp white petals of the Snapdragon, creating a clean, fresh look in the border.
• 💜 Salvia 'Violet Queen': This is a clever designer's trick—planting this Salvia nearby echoes the purple mouth of the 'Lucky Lips', making the colour seem even more intense.

📅 Sowing & Flowering Calendar

Sow early indoors for the longest flowering season.

(↔️ Swipe chart to see all months)