I am trying to establish a bed of delphimiums in the warm south, namely Tennessee. I need some advice. Attached is a view of one plant of D. Bellamosum that has been in the ground about two months. It put out a late bloom.
Thanks
Delphinium advice
Delphinium like cooler weather. When my mother moved from northern Illinois to the St. Louis area she had to give up on delphinium. But there are some newer varieties that are bread to withstand warmer temps. I don't recall them now, since they're not what I need in Maine, but look at some of the major garden catalogues or websites. If they are bred for warmer temps it will say so. If it doesn't say so, you may have to give up or treat them like annuals (I've heard some folks say this is what they do.)
LAS
Try checking at Graceful Gardens. They have a very wide assortment. Good luck.
I love delphs but its too windy on this hill to grow them even with stakes.
Hi, Cibarius.
I haven't had much luck w/ delphs in St Louis.
I've tried a couple of the warm-tolerant varieties - they haven't survived.
But I've only tried a few and am eager to hear of your success.
I got one to survive long enough to crank out a single bloom, then the usual swan song.
So if you get them established, be sure to let us other warm/humid summer folks know
so we can learn the trick!
Here's a shot of my one and only delphinium bloom a few years ago.
Thanks pirl, I will look at the website you mentioned.
I have bought D. belamosum plants from lazyssfarm late this summer. This is supposed to be a type of delphinium suited to the south. It is shown in the first picture I posted. I ordered four plants and three have survived. They look okay for now. Frost is about to make them dormant.
I have also tried and tried to start D. Magic Fountains seed from Swallowtail. Starting in flats and transplanting to small containers failed more than once. I finally got them to go by seeding into small containers mid summer and then transplanting into my prepared bed. You can see one in the photo attached to this message. This was quite an accomplishment. But note the difference in foilage color between it and the belamosum visible in the upper right. What do you think is causing the yellowed foilage on the Magic Fountains plant?
The thing that inspired me to try delphimium was the sight of them growing in the "wild flower" plantings along the interstate highway in Tennessee. They were beautiful, tall, dark blue spikes in June. They only appeared one year, but annual performance is good enough for me. But I want those tall blue spikes in my backyard.
I don't know the answers to your questions but I'll contact a good buddy and maybe he'll have some advice for you.
Our Magic Fountains were not long lived and we had also grown them from seed.
One Royal Aspiration thrives from those I ordered with a friend a few years ago from Graceful Gardens. That one plant was worth the cost!
my dream to own a plant that beautiful
The plant reached 4.5' tall and had 15 spires on it but it was the color of the flowers that I loved so much.
Ive painted delphineums before but this goes on the list for another painting
Cibarius, I think that d bellamossum is a fairly old variety and, therefore, I would be very surprised if it was bred for warm climates. . Where were you told it was good for warm climates? Likewise, Magic Fountains has been around forever. Heat tolerance is new within the last few years.
Well, I went to Graceful Gardens, and, indeed, belladonnas (which includes belladonna bellamosum) are the "original true delphiniums."
They list "summer nights" as heat tolerant, but it is a dwarf - 18-20 inches high. Maybe not what you're looking for. But the group "New Milleniums" were bred for heat tolerance.
las
This thread has been bad for me.
Now I will obcess over Delphs until I figure out how to fit them into a garden thats allmooost full
I visited Gracefull Gardens website and got hooked.
This message was edited Nov 6, 2009 1:23 PM
Their plants are a nice size, very well packed and they ship on time. Hard to ask for more. Preparing the site in advance is worth every minute.
LAS14,
Here is what lazyssfarm.com (located in northern Virginia) has to say about Delphinium x belladonna 'Bellamosum':
"Belladonna delphiniums are MUCH better for our area w/ it's hot summers. Upright, branching perennial, w/ cup-shaped, deep gentian blue flowers. If you're not having luck w/ delphiniums, this is the one to try. Seldom needs staking. Elegant treasures with a stately appearance. H: 36-48" W: 18"
What do you think of this description as it related to a hotter climate?
Can you explain to me what genus and species Delphimium x belladonna is? Doesn't this refer to a cross of two varieties of the same species?
Thanks-
I'm ordering some from Graceful Gardens in the spring. I think I can grow the shorter variety here on the windy hill.
Even if they say "requires no staking" STAKE THEM! You can use a small trellis and plant on both sides.
I just have to jump in and show off this one- the blue was unbelivable!
And here's another view- I hope they survive the winter.
wonderful
Absolutely stunningly magnificent.
Cibarius: I too would like to find Delph's which survive hot and humid summers. They just melt here in the summer. Belladonna's fair pretty well here in summer, but not the bigger hybrids.
I usually just grow the Pacific Giant Hybrids, and plant them right about now. LOTS of compost in the soil, and use sul-po-mag fertilizer in the planting hole...and definitely stake them, as was said earlier. Put the stakes in when you plant them, it's easier that way.
And if you tend to have a snail problem, bait for them IMMEDIATELY. They can devour the small plants in one night.
Thanks to JD I won't even go out to plant or tend a delphinium without my Sluggo or Ortho's Bug Geta Plus (for snails/slugs and earwigs).
Pirl, JasperDale's warning is very important. But watch out for a really bad infestation. For years I tried to figure out why my delphs weren't "thriving." They'd get brown spots on them, but not round spots. More like wide stripes. Finally someone in this forum (I wish I had their name in my head) said that snails can leave such marks. I had used Sluggo or BugGeta religiously for years, so wasn't thinking slugs and snails. I went and bought some copper sheet (thin, on a role) at Home Depot and made collars for my delphs. (Copper interacts with their slime). For some I just used tin cans. I put thme on the poor things that hadn't made a stalk all summer. It was fall. And low and behold, they all recovered! I just can't wait for next summer when I can act on a good diagnosis with a reliable treatment. They got my campanula and some other things too.
Good luck!
LAS
I always listen to JasperDale and follow his advice faithfully. I've found that if I start with the slug bait as soon as I start clean-up, February to March, I get the majority of them but I always apply more around Royal Aspiration since it is my favorite one. I will try the copper barrier if they ever touch my delphinium. Thanks for the good idea.
Cibarius and Weerobin, I bought this Delphinium Aurora Deep Purple at HD this summer. In this photo it's still in the pot. But I planted it along that white fence in an area that gets mid to late afternoon sun. It grew really well and never needed staking. It kept putting up new bloom stalks, right through September. I was amazed as it's normally really tough to grow them in our humid summers, of which this was the worst ever.
http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/showimage/251188/
Stormyla,
Is the picture true to color? It certainly looks like a lovely light blue. Not a deep purple.
Thanks,
LAS
LAS, No the color was deeper and got more so as the plant matured. LAS, it's always hard to tell what color a plant will be by looking at photos from my garden. I have almost no full sun beds. Everything grows in shade or semi shade, so my colors are never as deep as anyones.
This Delphinium "Pagan Purple" grows very well for a friend of mine about 2 hours west of me. The temperatures there are 4 to 7 degrees cooler. The colors on this plant are not to be believed.
http://www.tmseeds.com/product/719/Perennial_Seeds_A_-_Z
Wow, Stormy, I may have to give it another try!
But I feel sorry for the poor delph who finds himself in my yard.
If he looks around, he'll likely see the grave markers of prior brave delph martyrs...
Some of the responsibility for this should lay on your conscience, you know!
OK, Weerobin, Throw the guilt my way! I can take it!! I've been meaning to send you photos of some of the shrubs we discussed overwintering outside last fall. Almost all made it!!
Almost?
I lost 2 Daphne Cneorum this winter. They are normally fine here, but they heaved after that late 3 week freeze.
I'm trying d.nudicaule "Fox" and d.zalil for 2010. Wsing...wish me luck.
Delphiniums do grow great here, but there is one bug which attacks them. It can be controlled with a rose spray which contains pyrethrum so I am planting pyrethrum near the delphiniums. I am hoping the dried flowers build up in the soil so the bug (which turns the plant to ashes) will be naturally deterred.
The old blue varieties will reseed themselves when that bug is controlled.
This year I am trying for yellow delphiniums--it is from Siberia so I expect it will do well here.
The seeds were from Sutton Seeds in UK. Called zalil delphinium.
I am trying for Green Twist also, but from a pack of 8 seeds only 3 sprouted.
The 10 seeds of New Zealand Doubles did not germinate at all.
Caroline Zone 3 Calgary
I'm trying daphne odora 'Zuiko nishiki' outside this year.
I've never gotten d. odora aureomarginata to survive outside here - does great in a pot.
It always blooms great (usually in February) - smells fabulous.
But I hate to have to go into the garage to smell the flowers!
This one is supposed to smell as nice and be just a little hardier.
I've heard that before.. we'll see.
CLScott, I'm intrigued by your delph bug. Could you give more detail about "turns the plant to ashes," and describe the bug?
tia
las
It is a small grey beetle type bug and the evidence of it on delphinium plants is the plant looks as if it turns to ashes---a grey powdery substance. Some people cut the plant back and let it develop after the bug cycle is over. The bug has part of its life cycle in the soil I think. Sorry I am not an entomologist. I know if I spray the delphinium plants early with a rose spray which contains pyrethrum, I can avoid damage. I also think this bug is nocturnal as you don't see it, but the evidence is there as the plant leaves and stem are destroyed. One year I sprayed all the delphiniums except one which was growing in a pot. That one was attacked. So all of the plants need to be sprayed.
CLScott, That's very interesting. Thank You.
Here's a photo of Holly's Delphinium Pagan Purple. Look at those colors. It's her 2nd year for them.
http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/showimage/252554/
Oh I like that one---I have a blue with mauve streaks , but the "bee" part does not have the purple like that!. That is one I will need to watch for in the spring.
Thank you for drawing the photo to my attention.
Caroline zone 3 Calgary
Here in the deep south I'm planting my delphiniums today. With our hot summers I have to get them in early. I plant them in November and by April I have a wonderful display of flowers. Mine usually reach 3 to 4 feet tall. This year I've planted nice 4 inch pots of Delphinium Magic Fountain "Dark Bee". My neighbors are always amazed at the display they make in the garden.
Arlene