Growing to around 15cm (6in) 'Antirrhinum pumilum' The Magic Carpet Snapdragon is a dwarf, low-growing plant that has a trailing habit that makes it excellent for containers or in window boxes

Magic Carpet Snapdragons have excellent vigour and are rust resistant and reliable. The blossom-laden flower heads bloom in spring to early summer in a range of exquisite colours, displaying shades of pink, red, orange, yellow and white. These lovely low growing plants can also be used as a ground cover at the front of the border and would suit a rockery.

The snapdragon is one of our most familiar flowers, they have been garden favourites for generations brightening cottage gardens and fascinating children for centuries.
When squeezed side to side, the snapdragon flower opens wide, delighting children of all ages.
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Sowing: January to May or July to September.
Although technically short-lived perennials, snapdragons are usually grown as annuals. Sow January to May under glass in gentle heat for flowers June to October. In mild areas they can be sown from mid April until end of May in beds in open ground. Or sow July to September in a cold frame for planting the following spring.

Sowing Direct:
Select a sunny or lightly shaded location with moderately rich and well drained soil and sow outdoors only after all danger of frost is past. Cultivate soil and firm over seed, keeping it moist until the plants are established.

Sowing Indoors:
Sow at temperatures between 20 to 30°C (68 to 86°F). Sow on the surface of a good free draining, damp seed compost. Snapdragons can be sensitive to damping-off and other root diseases, so well-drained soil is imperative. Pay attention to glasshouse hygiene and use a suitable fungicide if necessary.
Place in a propagator or seal container inside a polythene bag until after germination which usually takes 10 to 21 days. Do not exclude light or cover the seed as this helps germination. Keep the germinating seedlings moist at all times, remembering to water the soil only and keep water off the leaves.
Transplant seedlings when large enough to handle, usually after 5 to 6 weeks, into trays or 7.5cm (3in) pots. For bushier growth, pinch back young plants when 5 to 10cm (2 to 4in) tall. Grow on in cooler conditions for 10 to 15 days before planting out after all risk of frost.

Cultivation:
Snapdragons need frequent watering for the first couple of weeks after transplanting (daily watering in sandy soils). Once established, water when the top 1 in (2.5 cm) of soil feels dry to the touch. They do best in full sun, but can tolerate partial shade.
Snapdragons need a very well drained soil that is rich in organic matter. Pinch back your snapdragons when they are a few inches tall to encourage branching, and remove old flowers after they have bloomed to encourage further blooming.
Snapdragons are usually planted as bedding annuals, often with petunias or pansies. The short and dwarf snapdragon cultivars are excellent for border edges, raised beds and rock gardens. The dwarf and trailing cultivars are great in containers too. Use the taller varieties in the background or as the main feature in a mixed bed. Don't plant too deeply, or they may rot at the stem. Some of the tall varieties may need to be staked, use a twiggy branch for an inconspicuous support. They make great cut flowers, and are often grown in the cutting garden for use in bouquets.
To encourage autumn blooming, cut back spent flower stalks after their primary late spring, early summer bloom period.
Under favourable conditions, snapdragons will self-sow in the garden, most cultivars come true from seed.

Plant Uses:
Ideal for beds, borders, patio containers rockeries and cut flowers. Very suitable for pots and window boxes.

Cut Flowers:
Snapdragon flowers will last 1 to 2 weeks in water, longer in floral preservative. They are also suitable for drying. The flowers have a slight fragrance, depending on cultivar.
Remove bottom leaves if present, recut stems under water and place into a fresh flower food solution. However, be careful not to remove too much foliage as excessive foliage removal can promote premature flower drop. Stem tip breakage can occur during harvesting and subsequent handling and is related to both flower colour and cell wall chemistry. In particular, red flowered cultivars break higher on the stem compared to yellow ones, which break lower. At this time there is no known cure other than preventative care by handling stems carefully.
Stems are geotropic, tips bend up if stems held horizontally. Laying on a table for less than an hour may cause permanent bending. Therefore, store upright or if they have to be held horizontally, hold them at 32°F to reduce or stop bending. Some references say removal of the top bud helps to deter the stem's geotropic bending.

Origin:
Native originally to North Africa, Spain and along the Mediterranean to Italy, snapdragons have become naturalised in temperate regions.
They were favourite flowers in the earliest English gardens, research indicates that snapdragons were grown more for their beauty than for their medicinal usefulness.
Snapdragons are easy to grow and have a long been used in gardens and in the cut flower industry. The brightly coloured blossoms can also be used to dye cloth. Snapdragons perform best in cooler weather and most cultivars can tolerate frost and an occasional light freeze. They don't do well in summer heat, and in hot areas, snapdragons are grown in the winter.

There are now hundreds of snapdragon cultivars, available in almost every colour except true blue. They are usually listed in one of five groups:

• Tall (2-3 ft/0.6-0.9 m in height)
• Intermediate (1-2 ft/0.3-0.6 m)
• Short (9-12 in/22.9-30.5 cm)
• Dwarf (4-9 in/10.2-22.9 cm)
• and Trailing.

Nomenclature:
Antirrhinum (pronounced an-ti-RYE-num), the name Antirrhinum comes from the Greek. "Anti" means "like," and "rhinos" means "nose", referring to the shape of the flowers. They often called a “calves’ snout” for the flower’s snout or nose like shape.
The specific epithet name pumilum is taken from the Latin pumilio, meaning "a pygmy" and refers to the dwarf size of this plant.
Commonly called Snapdragons, with their two-lipped flowers, they have delighted children for generations. Pinching the blossom makes the dragon's mouth open, or "snap."
There are about forty species of snapdragons, but the common snapdragon, which the famous garden writer, Gertrude Jekyll called "one of the best and most admirable of all garden plants", is by far the most well known.
Snapdragons belong to the Scrophulariaceae, or figwort, family. There are more than 3000 species in the family; common relatives include Foxglove, Veronica, Penstemon and Calceolaria.