Thursday 13 June 2013

Deefa Delphinium ...


It's an Alphabet thing ! A for ... apple, Deefa ... Delphinium ! Lots of bloggers are taking part in Alphabet Thursday, so I thought I would have a go ! If you pop across to http://www.jennymatlock.blogspot.co.uk/ you will be able to check out a variety of posts !

Delphiniums are the quintessential English cottage garden flower, beloved by all. There is something very about the Delphinium which evokes afternoon tea, and strawberries, and cricket matches on the green. It also evokes, for me, poorly staked plants flattened by rain and wind, and snapped flower stalks ! Because that is the English summer too !

Delphiniums are a perennial which are very easy to grow, and reliable 'doers' in the garden. I have grown a load of 'Pacific Giants' this year, and the rate of germination has been very high. I did use the propagator to germinate the seeds but a sunny windowsill would have served the purpose too.


I planted the seeds in March, and like all seeds this Spring, they were slow to germinate and even slower to grow !







































Above is an experiment, comparing the growth between a tray of seedlings placed in the frost free conservatory, and a tray in the glorious warmth of the kitchen. It is clear which seedlings are happiest !




Getting bigger and more robust ! Spot the rogue Dahlia that has sneaked in there ...


The clumps of Delphiniums at the back of this border, behind the Hostas,  are  only in their second and third seasons respectively. They have put on tremendous bulk and height. The buds are forming and I can see which wonderful shade of blue they will be, when the buds open. Maybe tomorrow that will have happened ...




11 comments:

  1. I wonder what the flowers will look like?!
    Beautiful plant. It looks very healthy and happy in your garden.

    ReplyDelete
  2. I wonder, fredamans! I will be hovering about with my camera waiting for them to bloom !

    ReplyDelete
  3. Cant wait to see your Delphiniums, I really like them but apparently not as much as the slugs.

    ReplyDelete
  4. So true Alistair! I have just been out and taken new photos and the buds are showing colour, so will upload asap.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Lots of promise of wonderful delphiniums. I did a post on D for Daisies this week.

    ReplyDelete
  6. D for Daisies sounds good ! I nearly did 'Datura' but fell for the charms of Delphiniums in the end !

    ReplyDelete
  7. I grew delphiniums when I lived in upstate New York near the Canadian border. They loved the cool summers but my current home outside Washington DC is way too hot and humid for them. They only grow in spring and have to be treated as an annual. Your seedlings will keep your garden well supplied with all those beautiful flowers!

    ReplyDelete
  8. That is interesting, I din't know they were treated as an Annual in some places .
    I have grown so many that II will have babies to give away to friends !

    ReplyDelete
  9. Delphiniums are beautiful. I'm particularly fond of blue flowers! These grow very well in the Pacific Northwest where the summers are cool and dry. They are also a favorite in Alaskan gardens.

    ReplyDelete
  10. They certainly thrive here in our cool uk climate !

    ReplyDelete
  11. Delphiniums are absolutely darling flowers..

    Your garden is divine, it makes me miss my old garden...

    Delightful post for the letter "D"!

    Thanks for linking.

    A+

    ReplyDelete

All Gardening Sites