Annual Larkspur

I usually plant annual larkspur in with my daylily and lily bed as a filler plant. My seed from 14 years ago is pretty well 'run-out'. I want to buy some new tall, double type and would like to ask if anyone in the Annuals forum knows of a business that has top quality seeds. I do not mind paying the price because they last so many years by self-seeding.

I love Stokes Seeds. I have bought larkspur from them and you can order by color or a mix.

Thanks, Lenjo - I'll give them a try.
Claire

I sure you have already got some by now but I also wanted to let you know about http://www.wildseedfarms.com/rocket_larkspur.html I bought the pkt size and was very happy with the amount of seed sent. I have just put them out in the beds and some are already popping up. They also have a nice catalog. You should check'em out.
Caren

Thanks, Caren - must be nice to have them popping up already. We have cold 35 MPH winds today with a promise of snow for tomorrow. I will winter-sow the larkspur in moist mix in an outside building with light. They will pop up extra early and I move them in among the daylilies.

Want to checkout that link.

I pair this one up with my yellow daylillys. Pretty, Pretty, Pretty!!!
http://www.robsplants.com/plants/ScuteBaica.php

Boy what a beautiful shade of blue. I usually use the blue larkspur with the red, gold, yellow and peach daylilies and the dark pink with the purple, pinks, lavenders and whites.

seeds--

I will be interested to know what kind of larkspur seeds you order. I would like larkspur in my garden, but I am a little confused by the nomenclature. http://davesgarden.com/pf/search.php?search_text=larkspur&images_prefs=both&Search=Search&offset=0

I found french pink ones at Renee's Garden.

This message was edited Feb 5, 2006 7:39 PM

t. - the ones I will sow this spring are from 'Value Seeds" in Jackson N. J. - which I think is an outlet branch of Thompson and Morgan. They are lacking their outer envelope and are tightly sealled in the typical 'inter packs'. Someone on this site brought it to our attention that this sale occurs in early winter.

One is Larkspur Gentian Blue #7239 - 612736/5.
The other is Larkspur Kingsize Scarlet- which is supposed to be dark pink - #7243 463450/2

I also will start a pack on Nastursium Tom Thumb to crawl around over things. I think I paid about $3.00 for the 3 packs. - I do not at all mind paying top price for good seeds - but I couldn't resist this bargain.

Oh! that's where I ordered my Larkspur from-- only I think I got something called Larkspur 'Seven Dwarfs' --when I ordered I didn't realize they were so short.

I ordered about 20 packets of seed from ValueSeeds. They posted the seed right away in the plain envelopes and I just go to the Thomson and Morgan site for germination information. Seed starting is (relatively) new for me, so I'm hoping they will turn out. Tried winter sowing.

The larkspur I want to try in Larkspur 'Exaltatum' which is kind of 'natural' looking. Seed is pretty hard to find.

I bought nasturtiums too.

I had some of the 'short' ones last year. They are very full - and very sedate. I usually use the taller ones in with some tall trumpet lilies I have in a tall daylily strip.

Somebody posted some very tall and very full larkspur about 2 yrs. ago - I think from Calif. It was a beautiful blue. I also used the grey colored larkspur in a planting one year with tall Shasta daisies and Russel Lupines.

LOL t, I have planted about every temperate clime annual and perennial there is, at one time or another.

Tabasco: The two larkspurs are in the genus Delphinium. They are D. ajacis and D. consolida. But in catalogues, they ARE confusingly named. Sometimes D. ajacis is called Consolida ambigua and sometimes D. consolida is called Consolida regalis.

Thankyou, missgarney,

Delphinium exaltatum Ait or 'tall larkspur', is native to our area.

This is the one I am thinking of -- I think it would stand up to our humid summers:

http://www.munchkinnursery.com/newsletter/delphinium-exaltatum/

But I can't find seed for it (on first look at Google).

Am still looking. t.

That is the only one I could find this evening tabasco. It is listed as a perennial to zone 5. They set seed very easily and you could sow lots of them the second summer if you get a plant.

I was looking around because I remembered seeing exaltatum somewhere before. I think the other place was in a catalog of High Country Plants from Colorado - and plants were about $15.00 each.

This message was edited Feb 6, 2006 7:59 PM

Well, perhaps that's what I'll do-- get a plant and catch the seeds. Thanks for looking into it.

I can also try the Valueseeds offerings, too, and see if they will hold up in Ohio humidity.

I think you will find the annual larkspur will be a lot less work. For one thing they self seed for up to 10 years. If you don't want them next year, just pull out the seedlings.

Delphiniums in my area are hard to start - they require low germination temps. - and the plants only last a year or so. They are quite prone to crown rot. Even though they are listed as a perennial they rarely last more than two years here.

With larkspur, when I collected seeds - I just went out in February and sowed the seeds on top the snow. Since I bought the ones I have now, I will grow out the plants and plant them out - early. I've been pulling out the old seedlings as I want the new colors.

I googled these Larkspur seeds from Johnson's, an English seed company,

http://www.johnsons-seedusa.com/Larkspur%20Seed.0.html

which I think are pretty and I would like to plant among my lilies (as you mentioned, Se_eds)...

Are these the D 'ajacis' or the D 'consolida' type? Do you know what the difference is between the two?

I would like to plant the other native wildflower D. exaltatum (from Munchkin Nursery) along my woodland edges.

Se_eds, I could not find your pink and blues from Valueseed-- they did have a 'gentian', though, which is, of course, blue and may be yours but no pink/reds.

I do not know the difference between the two types. If you get the plant from Munchkins, you can collect the seed and make more!

I have the gentian - blue and the other ones are marked 'kingsized' but when I ordered them the order blank says 'kingsize scarlet'.

It was item #V7243. Maybe they sold out?