Her leaves never yellowed, nothing drooped, and the soil has been kept moist. We're in our second heatwave, and this one has been particularly brutal (over 6 days of over 95*) so maybe I'm not watering ENOUGH? She's shown no sign of disease, spots or holes in her leaves before they started browning/burning. Her leaves aren't dropping, just drying to a crisp and remaining on the stalks which are starting to dry out, too. This has all happened during the past week (coinciding with the heatwave).

She's in a well-ventilated area in full sun (9:30-10 AM til 6:30 or so).

I'm a very new gardener, and I'm at a complete loss as to what to do for my girl. I don't want to lose her and am hoping someone can shed some light on my situation, and, hopefully, offer some solutions. Any suggestions would be GREATLY appreciated.

I can post a picture, but I just wanted to get this question out there as soon as possible.

that said... delphs are extremely short lived perennials.. in my experience ... and for most of us.. but for a few who have either them most vigorous plants ever grown.. or just lie to us.. lol ...

when i did them.. years ago.. every spring.. i would add a couple new ones .. to keep the show going year after year .... as sooner or later.. they all died ...

as a newbie.. you must learn that a garden is never static... you must learn to keep adding and removing things.. as the years roll by.. never get too attached to any single plant ... think of them as ephemeral...

BTW .... if there are seed pods.. make sure the seed is distributed nearby.. you never know.. maybe she will give you new ones... if only you remember that leaf shape.. come next spring....

finally.. also.. just because it aborted its flower stalk.. does NOT mean.. it might not come back... keep taking care of the crown.. if its still viable ....

ken

What variety is yours? Could you post a picture that shows your plant's "home"?

If she were mine, I'd cut her down and hope for the best. You might get another flush of growth or she might die back but return next year. I love these plants and seem to pick one or two up every few years. I kind of treat them like annuals --- very expensive but very beautiful annuals. Good luck with yours!

LizEMA,
It does sound as if the heat got the better of your Delphinium. Hopefully temporarily. We'll all send positive vibes in your direction and hope it returns with cooler weather.

Martha

I have learned very quickly that yes, Ken, things are ALWAYS changing in my yard. (I lost almost all of my coreopsis this year to HORRIFIC powdery mildew. :( And, no, EMA is not my location; I'm in southern NY.) As a beginner, it's nice to be reminded that sometimes Mother Nature does not always comply with our own plans and it's not always from lack of care or love that causes our beautiful plant babies to not do well or, worse, DIE.

I'm sure that you can all relate to that feeling of being completely lost and not knowing ANYTHING when just getting started. It's overwhelming and imbues such a sense of failure; sometimes it feels like I'll never know what I'm doing. It's invaluable being privy to the knowledge of gardening veterans, and I am truly grateful to all that responded. You guys are AWESOME! Thanks again, all!