Delphinium is a flower that belongs to herbaceous plants. Family – Ranunculaceae. Another name for the flower is larkspur. In total, there are more than 450 species of annual and perennial delphiniums. Annual plants can be represented by 40 species. In China and Southeast Asia, delphinium is very common. Some gardeners say that the unopened flower resembles the head of a dolphin. This is where the name of the plant comes from. But there is another opinion, they say, the flower appeared in the city of Delphi, in Greece. In any case, all flower gardeners agree that the plant is popular and decorates any flower garden.

It’s worth noting right away that growing delphinium is a very difficult task. The place chosen for planting the plant should be well lit in the first half of the day. After lunch, it is advisable to have some shade. Water should not stagnate on the ground, otherwise the flower will begin to rot. After the plant is planted in. After five years, the plant must be transplanted to a new place, otherwise it disappears. Often the long and fragile stems of delphiniums break from the wind. This is why they need to be staked as soon as the stems grow high. If you are ready to follow all the rules for caring for this flower, then it will thank you lush flowering in September, or even in August.

As already mentioned, delphiniums come in two types:

• annuals,
• perennial.

Annuals:

Most common annual species– field delphinium varieties Alaska. This field plant, which in the wild reaches two meters in height. The inflorescences are double or simple. How cultivated plant delphinium appeared in 1572. Delphinium blooms begin in mid-summer and end late autumn.

It is noteworthy that the Alaska delphinium is a hybrid plant. It's a mixture of Questionable and Eastern varieties. The stem can reach 100 centimeters in height. Flowers come in purple, red, blue, pink and even lilac. Among them there are also dwarf plants, which begin to bloom late and end flowering only with the onset of frost.

Perennials:

Already in the nineteenth century, perennial delphiniums began to be grown. These were Delphinium tall and Delphinium grandiflora. At the same time, hybrid plants began to be produced. And the French florist Victor Lemoine developed plants with double red, blue and lavender flowers. Today there are more than eight hundred flowers of perennial delphiniums. At the same time, there are both tall and low-growing plants.

Perennial hybrid flowers are divided into groups depending on their place of origin.

• Scottish hybrids of the F1 group are considered the most popular.
• Marfin and New Zealand delphinium hybrids are also considered popular, but a little less.

For example, New Zealand delphiniums tolerate frost well and have unsurpassed decorative functions. As for the Marfinsky species, it is very difficult to find. The fact is that a flower grown from seeds loses its characteristics.

group New Zealand delphiniums created not so long ago. Plants are tall, double flowers. The popularity of flowers of this group determined frost resistance, disease resistance, and durability. If you want to make money growing flowers, then New Zealand varieties are the best option.

Growing delphinium with seeds

It is considered an exciting activity when delphiniums are grown from seeds. Moreover, you can make good money from this. Today we will tell you how to grow delphiniums from seeds. Sow seeds at the end of winter. If the seeds were stored in a warm place, they will not germinate well.

Before seeds are planted in the soil, they need to be disinfected. To do this, the seeds are placed in a gauze bag and dipped in a solution of potassium permanganate for several hours. Then the seeds are washed cold water, are dried.

For seeds, soil is prepared from peat, humus and ordinary soil from the garden. In order for the moisture resistance to be moderate, you need to add sand, perlite and the usual soil mixture, which is sold for flowers in the store, to the mixture. To destroy all pests, the soil must be heated in a water bath. Once the containers are filled with soil, you can plant the seeds.

When planting, be sure to write down where which variety is planted - and indicate the date of planting. The seeds are sprinkled with soil to a depth of three millimeters. Top layer compacted. Then you need to cover the crops with black film and place them on the windowsill - closer to the warmth. The fact is that seeds germinate better in the dark. In order for the seeds to germinate quickly, you need to provide a temperature of 15 degrees maximum. To increase germination, containers with crops are placed in the refrigerator overnight after just three days. After two weeks, shoots appear. Then you immediately need to remove the film. From time to time, the ground needs to be watered or simply sprayed.

As soon as the plants have three leaves, they can be planted in separate pots. Germination is carried out at temperatures up to 20 degrees. The soil should be loose and allow moisture to pass through well. In May, you can accustom the plant to the air by placing it on the windowsill while ventilating the room. Before planting in the ground, you can feed the plant with minerals. As soon as the roots in the pot entwine the soil, you can plant the plant in the soil. It is very easy to remove seedlings from the flower bed without damaging the roots.

When you are confident that frost will not return, you can plant the delphinium in the ground. The holes are dug at a distance of 60 centimeters from each other. The diameter of the pit is 40 centimeters, the depth is up to 50 centimeters. We put half a bucket of humus in each hole. You can add ash and complex fertilizers. At the end, the resulting mixture must be mixed with soil so that fertilizers do not fall on the young roots of the flower. As soon as the planting is completed, the earth is trampled down and watered. At first, the seedlings need to be covered with a dome of plastic bottle. As soon as it starts active growth, the dome is removed.

So, shoots 15 centimeters high appear. The plant needs to be fed with cow dung at the rate of 1 bucket of dung per 10 buckets of water. The bed needs to be constantly loosened, watered and mulched, and the bushes need to be trimmed when the plant reaches a height of 25 centimeters. Leave up to three stems on the bush. Weak shoots are cut off. This way we will protect the plant from diseases. Cut shoots can be used for germination. So, we put them in sand and peat. After three weeks, roots may appear.

After the plant grown in the ground reaches half a meter in height, three supports up to two meters high must be dug around it. The work is carried out carefully so as not to damage the roots. Once the delphinium reaches a height of 120 centimeters, you can tie up its stem so that it does not break from the wind.

During the growing season, the plant must be provided with 60 liters of water. To prevent the plant from disappearing in the hot summer, up to three buckets of water are poured under it every day. After the soil dries out after watering, it is loosened to a depth of five centimeters. Watering is especially necessary when inflorescences form. If the plant appears powdery mildew, then you need to fight it. Disinfectants are used that can be bought at a flower shop.

As soon as flowering ends, the inflorescence must be removed. Then the seeds are picked for a new harvest, and at the place of the cut a shoot will appear, which will flower again. Even then you can divide the flower into several plants. Leaves also need to be cut from the plant after flowering to a height of 40 centimeters.

Delphinium New Zealand giant grown from seed

Delphiniums are beautifully flowering, majestic and desirable plants for many gardeners.
The subtleties of seed propagation limit the spread of delphinium in gardens, and this brings gardeners a lot of grief.

Purchased delphinium seeds very often turn out to be non-germinating; It's all about the conditions under which the seeds are stored.

Storing delphinium seeds

Delphinium sprouts well only from fresh or properly stored seeds.

Experiments carried out in the USA at the beginning of the 11th century showed that at subzero temperatures (-15 degrees), delphinium seeds stored in hermetically sealed containers remain fully viable even after 16 years from the moment of ripening.
And when stored in paper bags at room temperature, the seeds lose their viability after 11 months.
Delphinium seeds sealed in an aluminum foil bag retain their germination slightly better.

Our seed companies generally accept a shelf life of three years for perennial seeds. By reading the expiration date on a packet of delphinium seeds, you can imagine the year of the harvest and calculate how long they have been stored.

Still the best in quality own seeds delphinium collected in your garden or from friends. They should be stored in glass jars in a cool place (in the refrigerator or on the balcony).

How we sow delphinium for seedlings

When sowing delphinium there is no clear “recipe”; variations are possible. But there are basic principles that must be adhered to.
I’ll tell you how we sow delphinium.

It is better to sow delphinium seeds for seedlings at the end of March or in April. But if necessary, you can sow delphinium in May.

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(popular names- “larkspur”, “spur”) will add originality to a lawn or flower bed and will become a spectacular decoration of the yard. Powerful stems with lavender inflorescences, pink color or shade sea ​​wave- this is delphinium. Planting and caring for it are not difficult: the plant is unpretentious, sprouts well when grown in seedlings and seedless method cultivation and can become one of the first successes of a novice gardener.

Selection and preparation of seed material

Delphinium annual is mainly propagated through seed material. Growing from seeds is optimal for Delphinium Ajaxova, popular in Russian latitudes, and various “hyacinth” varieties.

IN THE PHOTO: Dark pink Delphinium Ajax.

It is advisable to propagate only by seeds Pacific hybrids (Pacific ), bred in California. These include varieties:

• "King Arthur";
• "Black Knight";
• "Astolet";
• "Galahad";
• Blue Jay, etc.

When propagated by seeds, such delphiniums retain 60–90% of the varietal characteristics, which is important for those who collect delphinium varieties or are simply a big fan of it.

Another method of propagation is vegetative (cuttings, buds, rhizome division) - suitable for perennial species delphinium, growing from seeds carries the risk of losing varietal characteristics. Propagated directly from the parent plant, young bushes receive all of it varietal characteristics and characteristics, including: color, flower shape, habit ( appearance) and even resistance to some diseases! Also vegetative way Densely double varieties of flowers that do not form seeds are bred.

Seeds can be purchased at the store or collected with your own hands in early autumn, when they are ripe.

IN THE PHOTO: Delphinium seeds.

One plant with four inflorescences can produce up to 2.5 thousand seeds. This is quite a lot, especially for small or compact delphinium varieties. Therefore, in order to protect the parent plant from depletion, when the seeds ripen, they are left only the lower part of the inflorescence and 10–15 leaves.

A significant problem when growing delphiniums from seeds in the same place for many years is their self-seeding. To avoid unauthorized “sowing” near parent plants, you need to collect seeds immediately after they ripen and prevent mature “seeds” from spilling onto the ground.

After collection, the seeds remain viable for two to four years (when stored in a closet). If you place the seed in the refrigerator, hermetically sealing the jar with it, its germination will be preserved for an unlimited time.

Pre-sowing treatment of delphinium seeds

IN THE PHOTO: Spotting of plant leaves.

Sowing delphinium for seedlings - timing and agricultural technology

You can sow delphinium for seedlings in March–April, depending on the region. The more continental the climate is and the more likely late severe frosts are, the later it is worth starting sowing. For example, in the northern regions Leningrad region, in the Urals and Siberia, planting grown seedlings in the ground “shifts” closer to the end of May or even June.

It is most convenient to use for growing seedlings that decompose in the soil peat pots. Root system delphiniums are vulnerable and do not tolerate transplantation well, and planting in such containers reduces possible damage to the roots to a minimum.

The substrate for seedlings needs to be light, with a slightly acidic reaction. Optimal temperature for growing delphinium seedlings - 12–15°C. Subject to proper care conditions, seedlings appear in 8–10 days. For full growth, seedlings need sufficient light and moderate regular watering.

IN THE PHOTO: Delphinium seedlings.

Seedlings after the first true leaf has formed. In conditions central Russia they can be planted in open ground in early May, since delphinium is not afraid of light spring frosts.

Young plants are grown at home and transplanted to permanent place in the garden in the fall or next spring.

Growing delphinium with seeds in open ground

Optimal sowing dates

In moderately warm and warm areas It is much easier for Russia to grow delphiniums through direct sowing in open ground. There is no particular need to grow their seedlings.

Flowers are sown in open ground in the spring (no later than the second half of April, otherwise the plants will not have time to fully bloom), and in the fall, in September–October - delphinium tolerates moderately cold winters well under the cover of snow.

Delphinium is able to survive frosts of at least 20-23°C without shelter. But the sharp contrast of frost and thaw sometimes provokes the growth of seeds and the subsequent death of seedlings.

Choosing a place for sowing delphinium in open ground

Delphinium can grow in one place for up to 5 years or even longer. Ideal place for sowing it - a well-lit area with protection from the wind and slight shading during the midday hours.

For delphiniums, sandy loam or loamy soil With moderate humidity and a sufficient amount of humus, ideally slightly acidic. It is also permissible to sow delphinium in clay soil if it is first improved. For this purpose, per 1 sq. m of clay soil, add 1–2 buckets of sand, 50–80 g of mineral complex fertilizer, 20–25 kg. compost (you can replace it with humus).

Poorer soils must be prepared for growing delphiniums. To do this, complex mineral fertilizers are applied in an amount of 40–50 g per 1 sq. m. m. and 10–15 kg. organic matter per the same area.

Delphinium seed sowing technology

Sowing delphinium for growing in open ground is done as follows:

• “Recesses-nests” are prepared at a distance of 15–25 cm from each other.
• 4–5 delphinium seeds are added to each “nest,” which are then buried approximately 1–2 cm into the soil. larger seeds varieties, the deeper they are placed in the ground.
• The seeds are carefully covered with a layer of earth.
• Sown delphiniums are watered abundantly and mulched with humus or fresh peat to retain moisture in the soil.

IN THE PHOTO:It is important to deepen the delphinium seeds sufficiently when planting, depending on the variety.

After 10–20 days from planting, seedlings will begin to appear. Further care for young plants includes watering, fertilizing and creating the best conditions for flowering.

Watering delphinium seedlings

Delphiniums do not like waterlogged soil. Excess moisture can cause rotting of the rhizome, but even if this disease bypasses the plants, overwatering will cause the appearance of large plots without flowers. Because of such “bald spots,” plants will lose their decorative properties.

IN THE PHOTO:Auto drip irrigation seedlings or young plants are perhaps the most convenient way organization of watering.

Watering delphiniums should be plentiful during drought and after each application of fertilizer. A mineral solution will only be beneficial if it saturates the soil to the roots. In other cases, watering should be regular and moderate, not too often and not superficially.

Feeding delphinium

When planting, a certain reserve is introduced into the soil nutrients, but several additional feedings are required throughout the year.

• When the plants grow to 10–15 cm, they are fed with liquid organic matter or complex mineral fertilizer.
• During budding or when the first flowers bloom, a second feeding is carried out with a high percentage of potassium and phosphorus compounds in the composition. Such feeding is definitely required in the event of a friendly and abundant flowering.
• At the end of the flowering period, when renewal buds are formed, delphinium needs fertilizer in the form of a potassium-phosphorus complex, without nitrogen.

IN THE PHOTO: When the first delphinium buds appear, it’s time to feed it a second time.

A plant of the Ranunculaceae family, very tall, up to 2 m, with dense candle-shaped inflorescences of the most delicate flowers in blue, light blue, pink, lilac, and white colors. Perennial delphinium grows well in sunny areas and easily tolerates light shading during the midday hours. Delphinium prefers fertile loamy and sandy loam, moderately moist soils.

There are several secrets when sowing delphinium seeds in March, which affect their germination. Before planting, delphinium seeds should be soaked for a day in epin or zircon. Then, having sowed them, place this container in cellophane bag and refrigerate for 2 weeks. This is seed stratification.

When sowing seeds in October before winter, delphinium seeds naturally undergo stratification. That is why in some plants, in particular delphinium, without going through the phase low temperatures, seeds do not germinate. After two weeks, the seeds will begin to sprout right in the refrigerator. After this, the container can be placed on the window.

Transplanting to a permanent place in late May - early June, when the threat of spring frosts has passed; landing scheme: optimal distance between plants - 35 x 40 cm; plant height: 180 - 200 cm; diameter of flowers in inflorescence: 3 - 7 cm, height of peduncle: 40 - 50 cm.

Blooming delphiniums When propagated by seeds, it occurs in the second year. It blooms in June - July, faded inflorescences must be cut off, then delphiniums will bloom a second time in August - September. Perennial delphinium easily propagated by dividing the rhizome both in spring and autumn. When delphinium is propagated by rhizomes, flowering occurs in the same year.

Care consists of watering, weeding, loosening the soil, fertilizing, destroying pests and preventing diseases. I would like to draw your attention to delphinium pests. When it's time to bloom, tall flower stalks may suddenly fall off. Some people think that it is because of the wind or rain that stems that are too tall fall under their own weight. However, this is not at all true.

In May, the yellow heart-shaped cutworm lays its eggs in the basal part of the stem. In June, when the larvae begin to develop, they gnaw at the thick peduncles of the delphinium and they fall off at the slightest breath of wind. To prevent this from happening, p carry out preventive spraying with insecticides in May and June.

For the best and long flowering It is recommended to use complex mineral preparations containing the NPK complex. Perennial delphinium needs to be replanted once every four to five years. Transplantation can be done in the fall, at the end of August - September, and in the spring, in April - May. Only when spring transplant and dividing the rhizome, the delphinium may not bloom in the same year if the divisions are too small.

Perennial delphinium perfectly decorates walls and fences, so it can be used in vertical gardening plot, looks very beautiful next to climbing roses, as well as in company with other perennials, for example, rudbeckia. It also looks good in “dry” reservoirs - streams, imitating peculiar waves. If you plan to use delphinium for cutting, then it is advisable to remove the side flower stalks, then the central shoot will be more powerful. Have you seen a bouquet of delphiniums? Amazing sight! By the way, delphinum flowers were used in ancient times for fractures; lotions from the flowers help bones heal faster.

Images copyright flickr.com: Carolyn C., DrRob, Luigi FDV, spencerrushton, ishkabibble2010, Alan Buckingham, aniika

Delphinium, cultural spur - Delphinium x cultorum Voss. Ranunculaceae family. All its varieties and forms arose as a result of complex hybridization various types. Delphinium perennial cultivation from seeds is one of the ways to breed it and the only way to create new varieties.

Delphinium description

Tall (1.2-1.9 m) rhizomatous plants, erect, slightly branched stems. The leaves are palmate, dissected, large. Large-flowered hybrid spurs - large grassy ones perennials reaching two meters in height.

Interesting! The color of the corolla of delphinium flowers, like that of hydrangea, can vary depending on the composition of the soil. And even on the same plant, different flower stalks can have inflorescences of different colors.

Large-flowered spurs belong to a group of flowers characterized by a bright and clean range of petals: from sky blue to almost black. The flowers of perennial garden spurs reach 6 cm in diameter. U the best varieties they are gathered into strong ears of inflorescences up to 70 cm long with a total plant height of about 1.5-1.7 m.

The flowers of many varieties are semi-double. The color of the petals varies from blue, blue, purple tones sometimes with a pinkish-lilac tint. There are varieties with pure white flowers. Hearts or eyes different varieties often come in white, black and brown tones.

It blooms from mid-July for two to three weeks. As the seeds ripen, the aerial part begins to die off, so that decorative plantings faded stems must be removed.

Large-flowered garden delphiniums grow in any soil. They most often overwinter without shelter. However, bright multi-stemmed specimens with lush inflorescences can only be obtained:

• in sunny places, protected from winds;
• on loamy lands filled with manure and humus in the fall;
• when planting with intervals between plants of at least 60 cm.

Near tall multi-stemmed bushes, strong stakes are installed for gartering peduncles, since even with light winds, tall stems with heavy inflorescences are often broken off at the root. The soil around the plants should be loosened after watering and fertilizing.

Reproduction of delphinium perennial

By seeds, dividing the bush and cuttings. Divide the bush in spring or late summer, leaving two or three large buds on the divisions. They propagate by cuttings in the spring when the shoot height is no more than 5-6 cm. You need to seize the moment before there is a cavity inside the stem. Cuttings cut at the base of the bush are planted in shaded beds, deepening them 2 cm into compacted sand.

Growing delphinium from seeds when to plant

Delphinium is a perennial flower. Growing from seeds is the easiest and most expedient way to propagate it. It must be taken into account that when mixed plantings Delphiniums of different varieties occur from cross-pollination.

Interesting! Some varieties, especially those related to the hybrids of the breeder F. Reinalt, retain the flower color inherent in the variety when seed propagation, but more often the seedlings differ both in color and in other characteristics, so the plant is transplanted to a permanent place after the seedlings flower.

To obtain pure offspring, excluding spontaneous hybridization, the distance between areas with plantings must be at least 100–150 m. Seed germination lasts no more than one year. The germination percentage of different varieties ranges from 50 to 80%.

Collection of delphinium seeds

Can be done in 3 ways:

1. The flowers located at the bottom of the stem are left for the seeds. Harvesting begins when the boxes at the very bottom of the peduncle begin to crack. The crown with unripe fruits is cut off. The rest of the shoot is placed in a bag, putting it on top. The bottom of the bag is tied with twine. The peduncle is cut off at the end. The package with fruit boxes is hung in a dry place. When all the fruits crack, the seeds are poured out.
2. The delphinium boxes are picked off as they ripen.
3. The fruits are ripened in a dry room, and then the seeds are poured out of them.

To preserve germination, store the seeds at a low positive temperature (+5 degrees) in the refrigerator. It is better to buy seeds packaged in double packaging with a foil bag inside. Old seeds for resuscitation are soaked in a solution of Epin, Zircon, Immunocytofiate.

Delphinium perennial from seeds in open ground

When sowing in open ground, the percentage of seedlings decreases. Therefore, it is necessary to increase the amount of seed material.

Growing delphinium from seeds before winter

The seeds are sown in August on seed beds, the emerging seedlings overwinter, and some plants bloom in the summer. Seeds are sown in late autumn in open ground ridges. Leave 20 cm between rows, planting depth 2-3 cm.

In the spring, when 2-3 true leaves are formed, spurs are planted in a permanent place at a distance of 25 x 25 cm. At the end of August and September, most of the seedlings autumn sowing blooms, and a preliminary selection and transplantation of the best seedlings can be made.

This is interesting! When under winter sowing percentage of plants with blue and purple flowers higher than in spring. Perhaps this is the result natural selection. There is an opinion that under the influence of low temperatures the color of delphinium petals changes to natural blue.

Sowing delphinium seeds in spring

Spring sowing in open ground is carried out in May. IN in this case flowering occurs much later than in winter seedlings. In northern regions, plants may not bloom this year. Seedlings with 4-5 leaves are planted in a permanent place.

Growing delphinium seedlings

Spring sowing can be done in March in greenhouses and in April at home and in greenhouses. When the second or third true leaf appears, seedlings dive into boxes according to a 3x3 cm pattern. It is better to sow in containers or bowls with disinfected soil mixture. Before sowing, dry spur seeds are stored at a temperature of +3–5 degrees in the refrigerator.

Preparing containers and substrate

The best containers for sowing are plastic containers with lids, 8–10 cm deep. The bowls are filled with a mixture of:

• leaf soil - 2 parts;
• turf land - 1 part;
• river sand - 1 part.

Another substrate option:

• 4 parts peat,
• 2 parts perlite
• 2 parts vermiculite.

The substrate is sifted, poured into containers so that one centimeter remains to the top edge, compacted and watered for disinfection with one of the following preparations:

1. Potassium permanganate.
2. Fundazol.
3. Maxim.
4. Previkur.

Sowing density – 1–3 seeds per square centimeter.

Seed stratification

Close the lid of the container that is placed in plastic bag, and put it in the refrigerator.

Pay attention! Seeds are sown dry without soaking! They are stratified in containers with soil in the refrigerator!

The duration of stratification is approximately half a month, the temperature is +3 - +5 C. After 14 days, the containers are removed from the refrigerator and, having been removed from the bag, placed in a light warm window. The temperature should be approximately 20 °C. At this time, the seedlings begin to hatch.

Seedling care

The seedlings are kept under the lid of the container until they are placed there. They are opened slightly and ventilated daily.

Watering

Water carefully from a spray bottle or a thin stream from a syringe.
You can water from a tray. Fungicide solutions are used weekly against fungal diseases: foundationazol, Maxim, Previkur, potassium permanganate.

Top dressing

Payments are made twice a month phosphorus-potassium fertilizers at half concentration. Stimulants Epin (1 ampoule per 5 liters of water) or zircon (0.5 ampoule per 5 liters of water) are added to the solution.

Light

The seedlings on the window do not have enough light; they grow stunted and stretch out. They need lighting. Cultural spur seedlings are illuminated with lamps daylight. White delphinium seedlings especially need light.

Picking

Picking is carried out in the phase of two or three true leaves. You can't fill up the growth point.
You need to plant, trying not to cover the growing point with soil. Young plants are buried in the soil up to the true leaves.

This is interesting! Seeds of light-colored spurs germinate faster than dark ones. You can almost accurately sort them already during the germination period.

Pickled plants need watering and shading. The temperature is preferably no more than 20˚C. When growing seedlings from seeds in open ground, spurs are planted according to a 30x40 cm or 50x70 cm pattern.

At the beginning of May, the seedlings are hardened off and planted in the ground. Plants are protected from the bright sun, watered and fed. Such seedlings bloom in early August. Full flowering occurs in the second year. Be sure to protect against slugs by spreading metaldehyde between plants.

Agricultural technology of perennial delphinium

The soil for spurs needs fertile with a neutral or slightly acidic reaction. There should be no stagnant water on the site.

Planting is done in autumn or spring. For everyone individual plant dig holes 40x40x40cm. Add humus or compost, ash, complete mineral fertilizer(you can use Kemira).

Required abundant watering before rooting. The site should be sunny and windless. The stems of cultivated spurs are very fragile. They can break off in gusts of wind. Delphiniums can grow in one place for up to ten years.

At the age of about five years, the bushes begin to decay and may rot. In this case, the plant is divided in the spring and planted.

Types, varieties of delphinium

Victor Lemoine was the first breeder to pay attention to delphiniums. He crossed the wild Spur elatum with Delphinium grandiflora. Got a row of terry and semi-double varieties various colors. The varieties of his selection were very popular at one time. The French Thibault, Richale, Chauvet worked in the same direction.

The English breeder James Colway (1859–1912) crossed Lemoine varieties. The famous Luther Burbank was also involved in the selection of delphiniums. English companies annually register new varieties of delphiniums.

In our country, delphinium selection was carried out by N.I. Malyutin. Its varieties are Son of Heaven, Dinosaur, Robin, Tenderness and Memory of Faith. Currently, Terry Dowdeswell's New Zealand varieties are at the peak of popularity.
These are F1 hybrids, that is, first generation hybrids. The series is called New Millennium Hybrids.

The breeder was able to select stable parental pairs that produce stable offspring with certain predictable properties. These hybrids are distinguished by large double or semi-double flowers, gathered into dense clusters. The color of the petals is bright and clean.

The value of New Zealand hybrids also lies in the fact that in the second generation, free pollination produces many interesting shapes with densely double flowers. That is, if you simply collect seeds from New Zealand delphiniums growing in the garden and sow them, you can get beautiful new varieties of these flowers. Plus, these varieties are winter-hardy and unpretentious, resistant to diseases.

1. Royal Aspirations - snow-white eye, azure petal color.
2. Double Innocence - terry, snow-white.
3. Sunny Skies - snow-white center, azure petals.
4. Green Twist - terry, the color of the petals is snow-white with green.
5. Morning Lights - snow-white eye, lilac-twilight petals.
6. Sweethearts - pink flowers, snow-white eye.
7. Purple Passion - violet-purple with a snow-white center.
8. Innocence – snow-white.
9. Mysty Mauves - lilac, terry, ruffled petals.
10. Black Eyed Angels - snow-white, black center.

Delphinium elatum

Delphinium is a beautiful powerful plant. Its tall, bright candles will decorate any garden or flower bed. Growing this flower a most exciting activity. You can try to withdraw new variety. After all, even with free pollination they can turn out unusually interesting specimens. You just need to take the time to collect and sow the seeds, be patient and wait for flowering.