My freshly planted snapdragon seedlings never bloom until mid-summer. The only snaps that might bloom in spring are those that survived the winter and already have good root systems established.

I had zero success sowing snaps indoors - they are small & fragile seedlings, and mine all died from damp off. My wintersown ones are strong and healthy, but as docmom said, they don't bloom until fall unless they have wintered over.

Wintersowing is definitely the way to go for snapdragons, though. Quite alot of my Black Prince winter over each year here on the northern edge of zone 7 in East TN. They will also self seed in the garden some - though I have not been successful direct sowing them. Once you have them, they may well bloom with your poppies!

I'm planting out an entire flat Sat AM as we are past our last frost date projected in the forecast. Snaps can take a light freeze and are suggested by BHG and southern living to be planted out a few weeks before the last frost date, (which is April 8th for 2014 in Southern Maryland according to The Farmer's Almanac.) I think with this winter being brutally freezing for the Mid-Atlantic Pansies/Snaps, & considering the tender perrennials they are in sub zero temps, that just replanting this spring will be best for a fresh look. The whole flat was $12. I went multicolored medium to maybe tall height. Snapdragons are one of the few flowers I enjoy in a multifarious palate of colors. Usually I plant a single color tone for a species only style, but they look dazzling mixed. A truly vibrant spikey flower.

Tuliper,

Where is Cobb Island? Southern Chesapeake? Your last frost date is so early you must be coastal, maybe down near VA?

Caryl

Just sowed 2 containers of snapdragons today - 'Apple Blossom' (blush pink) and 'Black Prince'. They don't start to bloom until the summer, and really come on strong towards fall. It's nice to have something blooming amongst the perennials that time of year.

The plants that overwinter do bloom earlier. It looks like a few of my snaps in the front garden have managed to overwinter under the snow and mulch this year.