Delphinium grandiflorum 'SUMMER BLUES'

Larkspur is a favourite perennial where varieties with blue flowers are most popular. Though, in modern gardens and better garden centres you can find new varieties with pink shades or even purple-red shades as well as white. The name delphinium was used to describe the shape of the flower bud which looks like a dolphin (rather a fat one).

Summer Blues is a fascinating, dwarf variety of larkspur. In my opinion it is the most beautiful of them all. It makes a low, compact clump, only some 20-25 cm tall, producing gorgeous flowers whose colour is identical to summer sky on a clear and hot day i.e. light azure blue with a soft blue, almost white bee in the middle. The flowers are formed on short, erect racemes from late June until late July and once the main flowering has finished you can cut back the entire plant to encourage the second flush of flowers and fresh foliage in late August and September. Under good conditions it may continue until early October. Deciduous, basal leaves are mid green, deeply cut making a lacy appearance.

Grow larkspur in any well-drained, humus-rich garden soil in full sun. It will benefit from mulching as it likes constant moisture. The plant contains toxin which may cause severe discomfort if ingested, or, to some, it may irritate skin. The plant is short-lived unless you dig out the clumps in the spring, divide them and plant back only the young and healthy ones. Use a high phosphorus fertilizer every year for profuse flowering. Fully hardy to min. -34°C (USDA zone 4), possibly more.

Last update 03-07-2012