Don't you just love Delphiniums these days I grow them in a small border and they perform very well although vie for space with a Saunders White Rambler and several Clematis with a large cooking apple tree to the right of the photo, a beautiful Gleditsia to the left of the photo and variegated Box along the front of the border.
In early spring I weed and dress the bed with grit and slug pellets.
I was encouraged to grow Delphiniums years ago when I had an allotment next to someone who grew them for show. He had half an allotment of Delphiniums. In June it was like being in heaven and i can't think of Delphiniums without being reminded of him his allotment and the thought of Dreaming Spires.
I posted about them last year when the weather conditions were more favourable and they hadn't been so battered with rain as they have been this year, on this post
http://joanne-orangecottages.blogspot.co.uk/2015/06/delphiniums-dreaming-spires.html
I loved looking at your pictures this morning. I have always liked delphiniums, but so far I have had no success with them. I think maybe we have too many slugs. Can you give me some hints as to the best way to start them off and when? maybe in another post?
ReplyDeleteHi Stella I grew all my Delphiniums from seed started off about this time of year in seed trays using a mixture of potting compost and sand, dampened. I actually use clear plastic mushroom boxes and one for a lid to help germination and prevent drying off.
ReplyDeleteOnce the delphiniums germinate and produce two proper leaves I pot up into small plastic pots and nurture in a cold frame mind the slugs I am afraid I use slug pellets especially at this stage.
As the plants get larger I move to larger pots still in a cold frame and over winter sometimes more than one winter depending on size of plant and space available.
I can never manage them in a mixed border but grown together helps keep the slugs down by putting grit around them and slug pellets, it also helps for staking in a narrow border as I have. Of course in my usual style I am greedy and have added too many other things around my delphinium bed, roses clematis and trees so they looked better before I planted other things around them.
Do give it a try they are so very rewarding and last some years, I also use petals dried for confetti.