Plumed Celosia
Sunday Mix Celosia brings a celebration of color to gardens and vases alike. This open-pollinated cultivar of Celosia argentea plumosa produces compact plants laden with vibrant plumes in a carefully curated mix of Sunday-inspired hues. Reaching maturity in 85 to 100 days, it thrives in warm zones 10-12 and performs equally well as a fresh-cut flower or dried arrangement. The compact growth habit makes it adaptable to containers and garden beds, while the edible flowers add unexpected dimension to a cutting garden.
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Moderate
10-12
?in H x ?in W
Annual
Moderate
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Sunday Mix lives up to its name with a vibrant palette of favorite colors hand-selected by the breeders at Johnny's Selected Seeds. The plume-type flowers are exceptional both fresh and dried, maintaining their color and form through the drying process with minimal fuss. Compact plants need just 6 inches of spacing and respond well to pinching, which encourages bushier branching and more flowers per plant. This is the kind of variety that transforms a garden corner into a florist's palette without demanding special treatment.
Sunday Mix shines as a cut flower, both fresh and dried. Harvest stems when flowers are fully developed with firm bases, then use them immediately in arrangements or hang them upside down in a dark, well-ventilated space to dry. The edible flowers can be incorporated into salads or used as garnish, though the plant's primary strength lies in its ornamental and floral applications.
Sow seeds into 72-cell flats or preferred seedling containers 6 to 8 weeks before your planned outdoor planting date. Light is required for germination, so cover seeds very lightly, just enough to hold them in place against air movement. Maintain seedling temperatures between 63 and 68 degrees Fahrenheit (17 to 20 degrees Celsius). Harden off seedlings gradually before transplanting outdoors after the danger of frost has completely passed.
Transplant hardened-off seedlings outdoors after the last frost date in your area. Space plants 6 inches apart in their final location. Pinching is recommended at this stage to encourage branching and a more robust plant structure.
Direct sowing is possible only in locations with a long growing season. Sow seeds 1/8 inch deep directly into the garden after the last frost date has passed. This method works best in warm climates where the extended season allows plants time to reach flowering maturity.
For both fresh and dried use, harvest flowers when they are fully developed and the stems are firm at the base of the bloom. Cut stems in the morning after dew has dried. For dried flowers, harvest at the same stage and remove all foliage from the lower stem, then hang the stems upside down in a dark, well-ventilated location until completely dry.
Pinch the growing tips early in the plant's development to encourage branching and a fuller, bushier form that produces more flowering stems. This single intervention dramatically increases the number of blooms per plant and improves overall plant architecture.
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“Sunday Mix comes to gardeners as an exclusive offering from Johnny's Selected Seeds, representing a deliberate curation of celosia colors that resonate with the gardener's eye. Rather than a single discovered heirloom or a complex modern hybrid, this is a thoughtfully assembled mix, chosen by seed professionals who understand what colors actually work together in a garden or vase.”