Delphinium Inspired Flower Beds

This garden features Delphinium elatum Sweethearts with Delphinium elatum Sunny Skies. These are three year old plants grown from seed.

When I posted my last blog about Delphiniums, I was contacted by Lorraine Roberts of Plant Paradise Country Gardens™ who was proud to inform me that she grows and sells Delphinium elatum from seeds that she imports from New Zealand.

Delphinium elatums combine with Persicaria polymorpha, sibirian iris, campanula, malva, erigeron, Miscantheus giganteus...

Some readers may remember that I have already blogged about this variety of Delphinium, developed by plant breeder Terry Dowdeswell in New Zealand. Because traditional Delphinium are short lived, he worked to find a strain that was robust and hardier. The result was elatum, a variety that offers longevity and hardiness, growing in climates as cold as Zone 3 [that would be zone 4, USDA].

Delphinium elatums combine with Persicaria polymorpha, daylilies, erigeron, oxalis triangularis, iris pumila 'Baria', Asiatic lily 'Fangio', Malva, and miscanthus gigantheus.

Unfortunately, it is not conceivable to ship plants from New Zealand to North America. Consequently, several nurseries on this side of the globe have been successfully growing elatum from Dowdeswell seeds.

Delphinium elatums combine with Persicaria polymorpha, daylilies, verbascum, iris, Japanese Anemone 'Pamina", Silene armeria, Asiatic lily 'Fangio', and Painted Daisies.

Lorraine’s growing and selling facility, Plant Paradise Country Gardens™ is an organic perennial nursery, destination garden centre and display garden. Readers living in the Greater Metropolitan Toronto area, might like to know that, by car, it is located only 45 minutes north of the intersection of Highways 401 and 427, at 16258 Humber Station Road in Caledon Ontario, 905-880-9090. It is open from April to October, Wednesday to Sunday 9:00am to 5:00pm and there is a Google map on the website for further directions.

Delphinum elatum Sunny Skies with Sweethearts

Delphiniums are such outstanding perennials that at Plant Paradise Country Gardens™ they celebrate Delphinium Day in July with festivities that include a catered lunch, a guest speaker, door prizes and guided tours of the gardens. Tickets are available at their website www.plantparadise.ca.

Delphinium elatum Purple Passion

Delphiniums bloom in all shades of blue, purple, pink, and white. They begin flowering, in full sun, by the end of June and continue for 4 to 6 weeks. At this nursery, when the blooms have finished, they cut down the plants to about three to six inches from the ground so that they will start re-blooming again in September and last until frost.

Delphinium elatum Morning Lights

All of the Delphiniums in the photos are staked. That care advisory is a must otherwise strong rain and wind will crack the stem of the plant. Unlike other perennials whose bent stems are sometimes no impediment to blooming, the delphinium flower experiences instant death upon cracking and there will be no additional blooms on that stem until the next season.

Delphinium elatum Royal AspirationsSome gardeners with small gardens may think they can only grow small plants. This is not so because the Delphinium gives a small garden height, which gives it the illusion of a larger garden without sacrificing space.

All images are the copyright property of Plant Paradise Country Gardens™and are used with their permission.