Scientific Name: Delphinium elatum
Height: Delphiniums typically grow to a height of 75-90cm (30-35 inches). It’s important to consider this height when planning their placement in your garden, as they can add vertical interest to your landscape.
Days to Maturity: Delphiniums have a relatively long growing season, with a maturity period of around 120 days. This means that you will need to plan ahead and ensure they have enough time to grow and bloom before the end of the growing season.
Plant Spacing: When planting delphiniums, it is recommended to space them approximately 30cm apart. This spacing allows each plant to have enough room to grow and develop without overcrowding, which can lead to issues such as poor air circulation and increased risk of disease.
Sun Preference: Delphiniums thrive in sunny locations but can also tolerate partial shade. When selecting a spot for planting, choose an area that receives ample sunlight for optimal growth and blooming. However, if full sun is not available, partial shade can also work well for these plants.
Plant Type: Delphiniums are classified as annual plants, meaning they complete their life cycle within one growing season. As such, they will need to be replanted each year if you wish to enjoy their beauty consistently.
Appearance : Delphinium flowers are known for their tall spikes of vibrant, showy blooms. The most common colours are shades of blue or purple, but they can also be found in other colours like pink, lavender, scarlet, white, and rarely yellow. The flowers can bloom with single, semi-double, or double florets, with the centre of the flower known as ‘bees’ coming in various colours such as white, tan, brown, black, or striped.
Harvesting : To harvest delphinium flowers, it is recommended to wait until at least one-third of the florets on the flower spike are open. When harvesting, cut the stem all the way to the ground to encourage regrowth and potentially more blooms. It is essential to keep blooms away from ripening fruit once harvested as they are highly sensitive to ethylene, a gas that can cause wilting and damage to the flowers.
Vase Life : Delphinium flowers have an average vase life of 7 - 9 days with proper care and handling
Special Features: Delphinium flowers have a distinctive structure that includes a hollow pocket formed by five petal-like sepals, with a spur at the end. The uppermost sepal is spurred and encloses nectar-secreting spurs of the upper petals. This unique shape not only gives the flower its name but also makes it visually striking and attractive to pollinators like butterflies and bumble bees.
Design features: I love a delphinium as you can use this long, showy flower as a line flower, or remove all the flowers from the stem, wire them and use them in clusters as a filler or supporting flower. I also love using delphiniums in wearables.
