Spring’s Cool Kids: Snapdragons, Stock, and Foxglove (aka the Drama Queens of Early Spring)

It’s early spring at Flowers on 29 (956 Gravel Pike, where the soil is rich, the blooms are budding, and the unsolicited advice is blowing in colder than the actual wind chill). You’ve probably heard someone say, “Ooooh, I wouldn’t have planted those yet,” while gesturing ominously toward your snapdragons or stock.

Well, grab a mug of something warm and let’s set the record straight: these flowers are built for this weather.

Snapdragons: Cold-Hardy and Unbothered

Snapdragons (Antirrhinum majus) are not fragile princesses. They’re more like the kids who show up to the bus stop in shorts in February—they’ve got something to prove.

Cold tolerance: Snapdragons can survive temperatures down to 25°F, and some varieties can even tolerate brief dips into the low 20s. They’re technically frost-hardy and will bounce back from a light freeze like it was a minor inconvenience.

What they don’t like: Heat. Wait too long to plant them, and you’ll watch them sulk through summer. So yes, I planted mine already. On purpose. With experience. And coffee.

Stock: Smells Like Spring, Handles Cold Like a Champ

Stock (Matthiola incana) is spicy scented and secretly scrappy. It’s a cool-season flower through and through—warm weather makes it bolt like it owes you money.

Cold tolerance: Stock can tolerate frost and temps down to 25°F as well. Some growers in colder zones even overwinter it under protection.

Extra security? Sure, you can cover it with a frost cloth during especially bitter nights if it helps you sleep better—but mine have gone through hard frosts uncovered and lived to tell the tale (with their delightful clove-scented voices, of course).

Foxglove: Medieval, Magical, and Pretty Much Fine

Foxglove (Digitalis purpurea) looks like it belongs in a fairytale, but it’s got a steel spine. It's often a biennial (or a short-lived perennial), meaning it usually survives winter on purpose and gets planted the year before it blooms.

Cold tolerance: Very frost-hardy. Foxglove can handle temps in the low 20s, and young plants planted out in early spring are usually completely unbothered by frost.

Pro move: Plant early, mulch a bit, and let it flex in your spring beds like the regal woodland sorceress it is.

So, Let’s Review—For the People in the Back

Yes, it’s going to get cold this week. Maybe even frosty. But guess what?

• Snapdragons: Tougher than they look. Bring it on, 25°F.

• Stock: Soft scent, steel nerves. A frost won’t scare it.

• Foxglove: Hardy by heritage. You’re not going to kill it with a chilly night.

Unless you planted out zinnias already (in which case… may God have mercy), your cool-season flowers are fine. Better than fine—they're thriving, rooted in place before the real growing season starts. While other people are still waiting for “safe frost dates,” these early birds are getting the bouquet.

At Flowers on 29, we’ve learned by planting, failing, replanting, and doing it all over again. (Sometimes we even take notes, but usually we just cry in the asparagus and keep going.)

So yes, I planted my stock and snaps early.
Yes, it might frost.
No, I’m not worried.
And yes—just like last year—they’ll be beautiful.

Flowers on 29 | 956 Gravel Pike, Schwenksville
We grow cool flowers. We keep it cooler than the forecast. Come see us this spring.