In the bed, the long panicles of larkspur inflorescences proudly rise to the summer sky. In June and July, the perennial delights not only with its various shades of blue, but also with its romantic pink and elegant white.During this time, even roses come to the background, enabling the popular perennial to show its full charm.
The choice of varieties of the delphinium delphinium is very large. Many beautiful forms are also distinguished by poetic names. Karl Foerster (1874-1970), a well-known perennial grower, stood out for his ingenuity in terms of nomenclature, to whom we owe many vital varieties known to this day.
He named the larkspur with light blue flowers with a white eye 'Berghimmel' (mountain sky). The sparkling blue color of the flowers has given him the name 'Zauberflöte' (magic flute), and the variety 'Sternenhimmel' (starry sky) is obviously dark blue.A lover of perennials can choose not only between the various colors of larkspur flowers, but also among groups of short-lived andlong-lived varieties.
The short-lived plants belong primarily to the group of Pacific hybrids bred in the USA. The variety of the delphinium 'Astolat' has mauve flowers, and 'Galahad' has white, semi-double flowers. Both larks are 160-180 cm high. The variants from the Magic Fountain series have a similar life (only a few years).They are about 80 cm tall and are distinguished by strong, stiff stems and very large flowers, gathered in dense panicles.The larkspur with short flower stems are also suitable for bottles.
Perennial varieties most often belong to the large group of Delphinium Elatum. They reach a height of 180 cm. If the soil is very fertile, their flower panicles can grow even higher. In addition to older, long-valued varieties, such as the dark blue 'Finsteraarhorn', there are also new forms, distinguished by he alth and strong shoots. The delphinium 'Augenwei de' grows to a height of 140-160 cm, while in the second half of June it develops two-color flowers with light blue petals with a pink blush.
New varieties for the new decade
The New Millennium series hit the horticulture market quite recently. Bred by a New Zealand gardener, belonging to the Elatum group, hybrids immediately delighted lovers of delphiniums. Many varieties have large flowers that form dense panicles.Strong, stiff perennial shoots reach a height of 160 cm.Contrary to the classic Elatum delphiniums, which are most often propagated from cuttings, new plants from the New Millennium series are obtained by gardeners from seeds.That is why their flowers can be of various shades of white, pink, purple and blue.
There is, however, a slight flaw in the image of beautiful perennials. The delphiniums do not have a very long flowering period, but this should not discourage us from them. In the bed, we can mix them with perennials that bloom for much longer, which will cover the gaps formed after cutting out the overblown shoots.If we cut right after flowering and feed the plants with a portion of compost, a pleasant surprise awaits us.The larkspur will still bloom. once at the end of summer, although not as great as in June. As in spring, young perennials should be carefully protected against voracious snails.
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(zdj .: Fotolia.com) |
Larkspur fits anywhere
The delphiniums can be combined with many other perennials.Sunlit positions and fertile soil like flowering in a similar period: white and red spearhead Centranthus, white summer pyrethrum, pink Erigeron, as well as purple sage Salvia nemorosa .The composition of the white delphinium 'Double Innocence', the blue Geranium pratense 'Orion' and Agastache 'Ayala' with mauve flowers has a lot of charm. A mantle with velvety soft leaves is a perfect solution for the border of a flower bed.
The delphiniums can be planted in June. Before planting, flowering plants in pots should be immersed in water so that the root ball is saturated with moisture.In the following weeks, let's make sure that the soil on the bed does not dry out.Carefully cared for delphiniums will take well and will be able to fully present their beauty.
