Delphinium Show

              Many of you know and grow Delphinium in your gardens. It's a stately, elegant perennial that is a standard in cottage gardens. Mounds of dark green, glossy foliage are adorned with huge spikes of showy, spurred flowers in early summer. Another common name is larkspur, although this name usually refers to annual varieties. This Delphinium Show was held in Regent park, London in this July, and as I have my camera always with me I'd taken photos of these wonderful plants.

Delphiniums grow well in regions with relatively cool and moist summers, and often struggle in hot, dry summer weather. However, some new varieties are more tolerant of heat. Usually plants also dislike sudden wind or rain, but mine is enough hardy to rain and cool weather.
Except for the dwarf perennials, most delphiniums need staking, as you can see on the photos. The plants bloom in late spring to summer, and the flowers are suitable for cutting.

Delphiniums are available in a range of sizes, from dwarf varieties to those with towering. Flower color includes blue, red, white, and yellow; however, the rich, clear blues are especially prized by many gardeners. I think that the white ones are beautiful as well.

Strolling along pretty flowers I've noticed some names of varieties: 'Clifford sky', 'Blue lagoon', 'Cassius', 'Conspicuous', 'Sandpiper'. The last one was white Delphinium. Take a look at these varieties:
 

I always wanted to have this plant in my garden too, 2 years ago I learned that Delphiniums are very difficult to grow from seed. So I bought a potted plant at the nursery and planted in that spring. Here is my delphinium (sorry, don't know the variety), now its seeds are ripen and I want to sow them in autumn.

Some more pictures of blue and dark blue Delphiniums:

Do you ever grow Delphinium? What is your experience in growing it from seed?