Lobelia is one of my favorite plants to grow each summer. I am head over heals in love with it.
I planted a six pack of them in this basket a few weeks ago and they just keep blooming and blooming.
How To Grow Lobelia
- If growing by seed indoors, start plants 10 weeks prior to last frost date for your area.
- Can be a little difficult to grow from seed though, so most gardeners buy in 6 packs from the local garden center.
- Plant in full sun to part shade. In hotter regions, less sun is preferred to keep them blooming longer.
- Grows 8 to 10 inches in height.
- Lobelia is grown as a tender perennial in zones 10-11, but as an annual from zones 2-9.
- Although they come in other colors, the blue and violet colors of lobelia are the most popular.
How To Care For Lobelia
- Lobelia is generally a low maintenance plant.
- Keep plants well watered especially during the mid-summer heat.
- Cutting back the plants after the first initial batch of blooms have faded will promote additional flowers.
- You can fertilize with an all-purpose liquid fertilizer ever 3-4 weeks, but it is not absolutely necessary.
They look great planted in the ground or in a container. The trailing nature of this lobelia would make it PERFECT for a hanging basket.
Lobelia erinus (edging lobelia) is the type I have grown most often and produce these vibrant flowers. These are the ones you most often see in the garden centers.
I’ve also tried the newer heat resistant lobelia and tend to stand up to the intense dead of summer heat quite well (I talk about the Techno Heat Lobelia in my post on Container Gardening Made Easy).
This lobelia plant is actually an inexpensive hanging basket that I removed the plastic hangers from and just plopped down in an old wooden crate.
It doesn’t get much easier than that!
If you’ve not tried growing lobelia before, you really need to give it a go this summer. You won’t regret it!
Other post you may enjoy:
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How To Grow Peonies Your Neighbors Will Envy
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Gardening Tutorials And Ideas
Katie@LeBeauPaonVictorien
Very pretty!!! I had some white lobelia in a pot that I planted a month or so ago with some pink double impatiens, but for some reason the lobelia died. I don’t know why; it usually does really well. I love the vivid color of your blues!
La
I love the way they are falling over the side of your basket. It’s very pretty, Pam.
Kim K.
Beautiful. A lovely little surprise.
Crystal Jeffers
ooo they are pretty!
Happier Than a Pig in Mud
Very pretty! Happy Weekend Pam:@)
Tete
Beautiful basket of blooms! I did these a couple of years ago and loved them! I found mine at a new green house just south of town, but had not seen them at walmart before!
I need to do them again.
Hugs- Tete
marty (A Stroll Thru Life)
Oh I agree, it is wonderful. I love it. It grows here in the spring, winter and fall, but dies in the summer. Mine just bit the dust. Hugs, Marty
⚜ ↁℯℬℬᴵℰ⚜
This was the first year I had it too…mine is wilting away though from the heat. Yours is so pretty Pam!
Gail @ Faithfulness Farm
LOVE Lobelia!! Just perfect for hanging baskets 🙂
Blessings!
Gail
Ann@A Sentimental Life
how pretty! we do get stuck using the same plants over and over every year…need to branch out! thanks for sharing
Heather
I love lobelia too. The wonderful bright blue of the flowers is just great!
Cozy Little House
I love the perky bright blue color. I seem to kill it quickly however. Probably water it too much.
Brenda
Linda
OH the lobelia is lovely in the basket! I’ve never thought of planting things in a basket like that…so charming! Thanks for posting my giveaway on your sidebar!
Jane
Pretty, pretty, pretty!!!
Jane
deborah
I love lobelia! I really like how you have them in a basket. I have always planted them with other flowers in my urns. I think I will copy your idea. They are stunning all alone!
Olive Cooper
Pretty Pam. I think blue flowers are something special.
Babs
I absolutely love your lobelia basket. I’ve never used it before but did see some at the garden center last week. I may just have to go back and see if any is left. Love how it spills over the basket. It looks so inviting on the steps.
Hope you have a great Sunday,
Babs
Vicki
I love that you planted them in the basket! So pretty.
Paula
I’ve seen Lobelia in the garden center but have never grown it. I’m going to have to remember to try it next year. Yours sure is pretty1
Pam of Eastlake Victorian
SO pretty! I’ve always seen lobelia in hanging baskets, but never tried it either. And I do LOVE any blue flowers! Let us know how it does the rest of the summer. I’ll have to remember it for next year!
-Pam
Nanniepannie
Love your basket. Our color theme on the porch is red yellow and blue, Lobelia works so well in our porch boxes. It’s a must for every garden…a great pop of blue.
poppilinnstudios
How pretty! Love the color of the Lobelia. Looks great in a basket.
-Lynn
Bohemian
What a vivid shade of color they are… love it!
Dawn… The Bohemian
Pamela @ FlowerPatchFarmhouse.com
I love Lobelia too, especially the trailing lobelia for baskets and hanging planters. I always try to put them in transportable containers so when it gets too hot for them I can keep them in a shadier location and they last all summer. On another not, I love the font in your Header, could you tell me what it is?
Pam
The font is called Brannboll and you can find it on DaFont. It comes with different “tails” too 🙂
Pamela @ FlowerPatchFarmhouse.com
Thank you so much!
Mary
Hey Pam, I love lobelias but I have had no success with them. Temperatures here get as high as 39 degrees. I am totally in awe at yours . You must have grown from seedlings ? I have tried from seeds ? Any advice for me ?
Pam
I have not grown from seed before Mary, I normally pick up the little cell packs at the local nursery. I have heard from other gardening friends that they do grow easily from seeds, but most people agree that they don’t like to dry out in the heat of the summer, so keep them watered. I normally grow it in a container (basket,hanging basket or something like that, so I’m watering it daily anyhow).
Mary
I just bought this plant. I put it in a hanging container with white trailer. Should be Really pretty together. Can’t wait until it gets bigger. I love it also.
Barb
Lobelia is gorgeous ,if you can keep it alive through the summer ,. Never had luck with it .
Pam
They have a new variety called Techno Heat lobelia and I just planted some for the first time this year. It’s supposed to take the mid-summer heat much better than the traditional variety. A friend in North Carolina planted it last year and she said it flowered all summer long so I thought I’d give it a try this year!
Barb
Thanks so much for the heads up on the new heat tolerant lobelia , I love those gorgeous flowers ,can’t wait to get to garden center to find me some . Thanks again Pam ,,
Beth
I just love lobelia but have a hard time keeping them going in July and August in upstate NY. I have a Bs in horticulture from Cornell, so I’m not a novice. I stopped myself from buying them today because they always fail maybe not enough water. Nice post.
Pam Kessler
Have you tried the Techno Heat variety yet? They tend to be a little more heat tolerant.
Chris
Hi Pam,
Love your post and ideas for using vintage finds for your garden and porch.
I’m always a bit envious of the treasures you find at the yard sales – living in UK, we don’t tend to have these so much – antiques stores we have, but pricey!
But I spent a few days in Sonoma county recently and was delighted to find a selection of reasonably priced antique/collectors outlets all clustered together ……. needless to say I had buy a few items to bring back to UK for souvenirs 🤣
I’m off to the garden centre to find some summer bedding plants to put into a crate, hopefully it will look as good as yours when done!!
PS: hoping your son continues to do well after his surgery!
finds
Pam Kessler
Thank you! He’s doing great! And I’m glad you were able to find some treasures!
Susan
Lobelia do not like hot temps., which is why we all lose them.