Delpinium charms

Delphinium

The tall spires of delphiniums charms colour and drama into the summer garden. The ancient Greeks thought the flower bud resembled a dolphin, hence the name Delphinium.Modern delphiniums are hybrids.
Delphinium is a genus of about 250 species of annual, biennial or perennial flowering plants in the buttercup family Ranunculaceae, native throughout theNorthern Hemisphere Africa. The common name, shared with the closely related genus Consolida, is Lakspur.

The leaves are deeply lobed with 3-7 toothed, pointed lobes. The main flowering stem is erect, and varies greatly in size between the species, from 10 cm in some alpine species, up to 2 m tall in the larger meadowland species; it is topped by many flowers, varying between purple, blue, red, yellow or white. The flower has five petals which grow together to form a hollow flower with a spur at the end, which gives the plant its name. The seeds are small and shiny black. The plants flower from late spring to late summer, and are pollinated by butterflies and bumble bees.All parts of the plant are poisonous if eaten, and foliage may cause skin irritation.Plants tend to lose their flowering potential after about three years, so take cuttings.

Sowing:

* Valeriana Officinalis
* Tagetes " Jolly Jester "
* Pseudofumaria lutea
* Calamintha nepeta " blue Cloud "
* Delphinium menziesii
* Delphinium cashmerianum








photo: Catma Dogma