Product Details
The blooms of this hybrid Delphinium are brilliant, gentian blue on 24″ plants with finely cut, deep green leaves. Beginning in June, plants will flower all summer if deadheaded. Treat as a biennial. This is the best Delphinium for the South.
The tall hybrid Delphiniums are the outstanding elements of every well-bred garden. However, dwarf forms and the sturdy and graceful species are equally charming in their own way and a good deal more durable. The colors of the species are stunning, and the period of bloom is long, in part because well-tended plants produce secondary spikes in late summer and fall.
Delphiniums are magnificent in a border, and we suggest you plant at least a few in the cutting garden, for the spikes, if cut when a quarter of the flowers are open, last a week in water. Delphiniums require full sun and rich soil amended with lime. In the South, they are best planted in the fall and treated as cool-season annuals. Gardeners in the desert Southwest should skip them altogether.
For more information on growing Delphinium, click Growing Guide.
Shipping
HOW PLANTS ARE SHIPPED
The size of the plants we ship has been selected to reduce the shock of transplanting. For some, this means a large, bareroot crown. Others cannot travel bareroot or transplant best if grown in containers. We ship these perennials and annuals in 1 pint pots, except as noted. We must point out that many perennials will not bloom the first year after planting, but will the following year, amply rewarding your patience. We ship bulbs as dormant, bare bulbs, sometimes with some wood shavings or moss. Shrubs, Roses, vines, and other woody plants may be shipped bareroot or in pots. The size of the pot is noted in the quick facts for each item.
WHEN WE SHIP
We ship our bulbs and plants at the right time for planting in your area, except as noted, with orders dispatched on a first-come, first-served basis by climate zone. We also ship a wide range of containers and planters, tools, supplies, fertilizers, garden wear, garden decor items, as well as indoor decorations like wreaths and dried bouquets when available. Estimated dates for shipping are indicated in the green Shipping Details box for each item. Please supply a street address for delivery. Kindly contact us with two weeks notice, if you'll be away at the expected time of delivery.
OUR GUARANTEE
We guarantee to ship plants that are in prime condition for growing. If your order is damaged or fails to meet your expectations, we will cheerfully replace or refund it. Please contact our Customer Service Department at 1-800-503-9624 or email us at [email protected]. Please include your order number or customer number when contacting us.
Reviews
Average Customer Rating: (2 Reviews) Write a Review
Sort by:
I love these
Andrea from Andover MA
Growing guide
Latin Name Pronunciation: del-fin'ee-um
Delphiniums require full sun, preferably in a spot protected from high winds. They also need very fertile soil, with a pH close to neutral. If your soil is acid, plan to mix a handful of lime into the bed. And, lastly, all of the tall varieties require staking. Inevitably, a sudden downpour will knock unsupported stems down into the mud, and there's no way to ease that heartbreak. We suggest using two or more loops of twine, arranged in a figure-8, starting near the base and ending just below the flower head.
"Very fertile soil" means soil enriched with plenty of compost or composted manure. Plan to add a balanced, slow-release fertilizer as well.
Yes, Delphiniums require more attention and preparation than some other perennials. But, as our founder wrote, "… no gardener worth his loam would stop growing Delphiuniums just because they are not as rugged as weeds. There is nothing more beautiful or more rewarding …."
Cut the flower stalks of all but D. grandiflorum 'Blue Mirror' to the ground immediately after flowering for a second, smaller show in September. D. grandiflorum 'Blue Mirror' is the best Delphinium for the South but is short-lived there; allow a few plants to go to seed to provide for replacements.
Combine with Peonies, Siberian Iris, Lupines, Shasta Daisies, Roses, and other June bloomers.