Patty's Balloon flower is blooming.  She told me that she planted it several years ago, and it comes back every summer.  Apparently it likes where it lives.    

 

It's easy to see why it got the name Balloon flower:  the unopened flower buds are puffy just before they bloom.  They look like little balloons, full of air.  I've read that they come in pink, white, and this luscious purple.  

 

Platycodon is native to East Asia (China, Korea, Japan, and the Russian Far East.)  It  is hardy down to 5 degrees F, so it can be planted here, and survive our winters.  It is probably readily available in our local garden centers.

 

It really is cute;  go see it in bloom.   

 

HAPPY GARDENING!!!