Delphiniums are not the plant for every garden. If you have a small garden or like to grow things in pots, then delphiniums are probably not for you. But for the right garden they can look absolutely fantastic. And the right garden is one that can handle a bit of height.
Delphiniums will grow to a whopping 180cm tall. They are beautiful and bold and look great in all sorts of different style gardens. Foxgloves and hollyhock are two other tall plants which look lovely grown with delphiniums. And they also make great cut flowers.
At Awapuni we currently have five different varieties of delphinium available in a range of colours including traditional blues right through to lilac, pink, yellow and white. All our delphiniums (including popular varieties round table and summer skies) are currently available as established plants. Our established plant range is perfect for anyone wanting to fast-forward the pleasure they receive from their garden. Plants have been on-grown at the nursery so they will reach maturity or flower around six weeks earlier than if you plant seedlings. And if you want to make things even easier, just head to our online store to purchase your delphinium plants.
When you're ready to plant, choose a sunny, well-drained area with rich soil. Dig in a good quality compost and animal manure fertiliser, or garden galore, and add plenty of mulch to stop weeds forming and retain soil moisture. Pea straw, is a favourite mulch of ours as it’s soft and will rot down over time and feed the soil. Plant each delphinium around 50cm apart from the next to give a bit of space. But don’t plant too far apart as they create a great visual effect if planted near each other and they will provide extra support.
Delphiniums like a drink, so keep them well-watered and a bit of liquid fertiliser will help keep them blooming. If you notice the foliage start to yellow or the plant isn’t growing very well – it often means it needs more fertiliser. In around late spring (depending on whether you planted seedlings or established plants) you can expect to see your tall flowers blossom. As they’re short-lived perennials they will flower every year for around three to four years. Dead head (remove the dead flower heads) your flowers and this will help them flower again in late summer, early autumn.
