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I want to try a Delphinium...which has these features
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Posted by
rouge21 5b (
My Page) on
Tue, Jun 19, 12 at 20:04
| I have never had the desire to include one in my garden until...today. I was driving by a home and this plant was so excellent; so perfect for this garden. I think I have one spot in my own garden for a delphinium BUT I want a variety with these characteristics:
- very close to 3 feet in height
- self supporting
- blue/purple flower
- can succeed with less than full sun...say 4.5 hours of good sunshine
- hardy to zone 5
Are there any delphinums (maybe a more recent cultivar) that fits the bill? |
Follow-Up Postings:
RE: I want to try a Delphinium...which has these features
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| Delphinium X belladonna Piccolo(not sure about 'less than full sun' part though, as mine is in full sun, and do not know if available in US) |
RE: I want to try a Delphinium...which has these features
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| Thanks for the suggestion wieslaw. The nursery near me lists Delphinium Magic Fountain. It appears this might be a possibility. I guess I will never know if my sun is sufficient until it is actually in the garden. |
RE: I want to try a Delphinium...which has these features
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| As far as I know, Magic Fountain Series is a seed strain and is just a dwarfed version of Pacific Series, with all the bad things kept(= very short-lived for me), just shorter. The proportions of the plants somehow do not fit to each other in my opinion, I could not see the Magic in them. Last year I was at a plant market, and somebody came with Delphiniums which were only a foot tall or so. Nobody bought them. |
Pictures
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RE: I want to try a Delphinium...which has these features
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| I've grown Belladonnas, and that is as close as you are going to get. Seeds are quite easy to find. Plants may be a bit harder. |
RE: I want to try a Delphinium...which has these features
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| Excellent photos as always wieslaw. |
RE: I want to try a Delphinium...which has these features
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| Both Annie's Annuals and Lazy'ss Farm sell belladona plants and both are excellent nurseries. |
RE: I want to try a Delphinium...which has these features
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| Not all Belladona hybrids propagated from seed will be selfsupporing. I bought Cliveden Beauty propagated from seed and they were not the best. When I propagated Delphinium elatum Forster's hybrids from seed, more than 3 out of 4 were keepers. |
RE: I want to try a Delphinium...which has these features
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| For an inexpensive and probably satisfying investment in Delphiniums for zone 5b, I recommend growing the "Connecticut Yankees" strain from seed. There's a very nice color range from white through pale blue, deep blue and purple, plants are relatively compact (2-3 feet tops in my experience) and generally survive at least a few years (unlike other Delphiniums that peter out more quickly in my climate). You can save your own seed and grow more that are true to type. The "Piccolo" photos are beautiful. |
RE: I want to try a Delphinium...which has these features
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| Quite lovely! Unfortunately, D. 'Piccolo' isn't available except in Europe, from what I can find on the web. I think I'll have to try some of the other belladonna delphiniums, however. I started some midheight delphiniums from seed a number of years ago, but they succumbed to mildew. By now I don't remember the variety. Many of the references I found to D. elata considered it an annual. What have others found as far as elata's longevity? |
RE: I want to try a Delphinium...which has these features
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| Delphinium elatum has NEVER bloomed in its first year for me(needs vernalization to bloom), and often rather sparsely in its second year if on hungry soil. It begins to bloom abundantly in it's third year. Besides, many references just repeat old information without checking if it is true. 10 years is not short-lived for me. |
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