Delphiniums
I love my random patches of delphiniums (particularly when the wind isn't blowing). Nearly all have been grown from seed, that normal bright blue which is so noticeable and uplifting in the strong summer sunshine. My bees love then, too.
Blue Delphiniums
A large patch grow in the perennials garden by the pergola, and they take over providing vertical accents when the nearby lupins are finishing flowering. One clump comes from a departing friend's garden, and are quite successful, getting lots of sun and are sheltered in the Willow Tree Garden over the water race. Unfortunately when the summers are dry these delphiniums get cut down in their prime by a nearby irrigation sprinkler. Oops...
Bee on a Delphinium
One summer I cut the delphiniums by the pergola hard back just after flowering and waited to see if they'd have the strength and attitude to bloom again in my garden. They always did in the books I read
Success
I'm pleased to report a good second flowering! So if I remember to trim the delphiniums in time, I will be rewarded.
One year I remember buying in a starter pack of different coloured hybrids. Only one has survived - a beautiful smoky blue, and gradually over the years it's bulked up. It's planted in the middle of the Island Bed, and I can see it flowering from the house. I'd rather like a proper mauve one - must remember to check the perennials catalogues next spring.
A flop in the wind...
Generally speaking delphiniums in New Zealand gardens can be a bit of a liability - only because of the windy days we can expect to get. Staking the actual blooms seems a little extreme to me - after all, these flowers have to suit their environment, not vice versa. But there's no doubt that the rich deep blues and the vertical accents they provide are truly beautiful. Blue is my favourite colour, and I'll always enjoy the effect of the blue annuals and perennials in my flower gardens.