Delphinium 'Dark Blue/Dark Bee'

Delphinium 'Dark Blue/Dark Bee': Navy Blue Towers Bees Can't Resist

Deep purple-blue florets with a nearly black eye in each centre, stacked up a spike like a velvet suit with onyx buttons. This delphinium dresses for the opera and shows up to your barbecue anyway. BLACK TIE OPTIONAL.

Plant Characteristics:

• Botanical Name: Delphinium elatum hybrid
• Common Name: Larkspur, Delphinium
• Series: Magic Fountains
• Height: 75–90 cm (30–35 in)
• Spread: 40 cm (16 in)
• Flowers: Deep purple-blue, semi-double florets with a dark, almost black bee in the centre, on dense upright spikes
• Bloom Time: Early to midsummer (June to July), with a possible smaller rebloom later if cut back
• Foliage: Dark green, deeply cut leaves forming a bushy base
• Features: Excellent for cutting

Where to Plant: Plant it in the middle of a sunny border, in a cottage garden or in a cutting bed. All parts are toxic, so it is a good choice where deer and rabbits browse.

Companion Plants: Set Alcea 'Polarstar' behind the larkspur, where its white hollyhock spires climb to 150 to 180 cm and carry the show from July to September. In front, Leucanthemum Amazing Daisies® 'Banana Cream II' adds soft yellow daisies from June to August, a cheerful partner for deep blue spikes. Finish the edge with Scabiosa 'Pink Mist', whose pink pincushions bloom from June right through October. It is a classic cottage border in full sun, layered from front to back.

Plant Care: Choose a sunny spot with rich, well-drained soil that stays evenly moist. Water deeply during dry spells and avoid soggy ground. Feed in spring with compost or a balanced fertilizer. Space plants for good air flow to help prevent powdery mildew, and give them a spot sheltered from strong wind. Tall spikes may need a support ring in exposed gardens. Cut spent flower spikes to the base after blooming. Fresh shoots often give a second, smaller round of flowers later in summer. Cut the plant to the ground after frost. Delphiniums can be short-lived, but they do best with cool nights, which our region has plenty of. Divide crowded clumps in spring every few years.

History: Garden delphiniums trace back mainly to Delphinium elatum, native to the mountains of Europe and Asia, and the name comes from the Greek word for dolphin, after the shape of the buds. Magic Fountains is a seed strain sold by Benary of Germany, developed as a shorter, sturdier alternative to the giant types.

Final Thoughts: Deer resistant, a hummingbird magnet and superb in a vase. Cut a few spikes and THE DINING TABLE BECOMES A GALA.