Delphinium, Southern Gardening TV, April 25, 2012

One of the treats of the spring garden are delphinium. Today I'm at the home of my friends Lisa and Marty, enjoying the beautiful delphinium and other flowers of their spring garden. Delphiniums have long and colorful flower spikes. The name Delphinium is derived from the Greek "delphis", meaning dolphin, which developing seed heads resemble. Flower colors can range from white to pale blue to dark blue. See how nice they look when planted in combination with the vertical flower stalks of Sonnet snapdragon. The foliage is also attractive. The large leaves have stems and are palm-like with 5 to 7 toothed lobes. These are clustered towards the base, with some that branch off the flower stem. Delphiniums need to be grown in the full sun for best flowering. Plant in a well drained soil amended with composted materials. Delphiniums need to be planted in the period from November to early February. This is a time well before flowering, but it allows the root system to grow to be able to support the flowering show. Because of the height of the flowering stem, staking is required. Delphinium requires a little extra feeding to flower optimally. Use extra compost or organic fertilizers sprinkled around the base of the plants in the spring. Be aware though, excessive nitrogen can actually decrease the life of the flowers. Delphinium should be considered short-lived perennials due to the heat and humidity we have in Mississippi. But don't let that stop you from enjoying these plants in your garden. I'm Gary Bachman for Southern Gardening.