Blog- Delphiniums

Welcome to Woodville Walled Gardens  first blog of 2014.

Spring is definitely here, in the last 10 days the garden has changed colour completely with rapid growth in all areas.

As the garden wakes up so too do the gardeners nemesis. Look out for Delphiniums, make sure they are not munched by slugs and snails as they emerge. How you deal with these critters is between you and your maker. Rest assured they have an eye on your Delphiniums.

Slug and snail activity is really bad at the moment with no frost to keep them in check. Tidy your beds making sure they have nothing to hide under. This article by Kate Rogers Gessert will give you a well rounded insight into the life and possible deaths  (if that be your philosophy) of slugs.

http://www.rinconvitova.com/slugging_it_out_Horticulture.htms

During my tidy up I could not resist taking some basal cuttings from one big plant, which have taken already. (If you want to try taking your own basal cuttings here is a link to show you how.)

yhttp://www.gardenersworld.com/how-to/projects/creative-projects/how-to-take-basal-cuttings/24.html

Put in plant supports and mulch well and they will reward you with those magnificent spires.

As soon as they finish flowering cut back to the ground, give them another feed and you will get a second flowering in September.

If however you find yourself worn down in defense of your Delphiniums and decide enough, never again why not try Monkshood- Actonitum, sometimes referred to as poor-mans Delphinium. We have a few varieties at Woodville, one of which is ready to flower in April, one mid-summer and best of all Bressingham Spires, which has fabulous  foliage all summer and then flowers though August, September and October. 

Happy gardening.

The Gardening Gnome.

Woodville W.G.