Don’t let anyone tell you that delphiniums are hard to grow. After having grown some 15,000 delphiniums over the past seven years, I believe that if you can grow iris, daylilies, or even radishes, you will have as much success with delphiniums. The familiar blue of delphinium is now only one of the cameo colors … Read more
Delphiniums can easily be grown from seeds that can be sown practically any time of the year, according to the climatic conditions, equipment available, or desired flowering time. Under California conditions, for early spring flowers, sow from June to September; for midsummer blooms, December to January; and for Fall blooms, February to April. Early Seed … Read more
How many have had a gorgeous delphinium bloom take first prize, and maybe “Best Spike in the Show,” and have prided themselves that they had a beautiful plant only to have that plant Winter-kill or pass out from some other delphinium ill? Such disappointments are keenly felt, more so because they are unnecessary. For example, … Read more
Have you ever thought of planting flowers that will supply a profusion of bloom for winter as well as summer? It’s easy – if you choose the kinds of flowers that can be dried successfully. Of course, not all of them dry well, but a wealth of material that can be just as attractive when … Read more
Dwarf delphiniums entered my life quite by accident. But, pint-size though they are, they remain in my garden year after year by plan! When I ordered that first hatch of seed included: Delphinium grandiflorum White Butterfly Azure Fairy and Blue Butterfly I thought I was selecting the familiar tall Chinese larkspur and expected blossom spikes … Read more
One thing a hybridizer must be is flexible. About thirty years ago, when starting my delphinium breeding, my idea was to follow the English method of selecting individual seedlings, which would then be propagated by cuttings and sold as named varieties. However, I had to revise my thinking as this method seemed to apply only … Read more
For two months out of the year, December and January, my delphiniums let me rest. The remainder of the time, they keep me busy. Mostly Pacific hybrids bloom their last by late October, and the bulk of their stalks are cut back. November sees the rest of the stalks removed and sand scattered about the … Read more