Luke Judge

We were finally treated with a weekend without rain (the first in 5 weeks!), warm temperatures (it was in the low 70′s today with abundant sun) and generally great gardening conditions, so we tried to take our best advantage of them. Saturday we took Hanna on an excursion to her favorite store, Petco, because they had her food on sale at a significant savings and we had a coupon almost to expiration, so we wanted to economize as much as possible, considering we were getting her some Frontline (for fleas and ticks), which is no small expenditure at $60 for 3 months! Of course we couldn’t resist taking her through the toy aisle (I’m not sure if it’s more fun for her or us!) and got her a couple new toys as belated birthday presents (more on those later).

Then we made a stop on the way home at a more upscale specialty nursery (e.g. on the pricey side) where we made some real finds and I dropped a significant amount of cash … Our big find was a new hybrid Hellebore called ‘Ivory Prince,’ that is the biggest Hellebore I’ve ever seen, so we had to have it. Unlike all the other Hellebores we have, which are of the Royal Heritage strain, this one has blooms that face up, not down, so no wet belly position to photograph them! This one is currently blooming, and though the flowers now look pale green, apparently they start out white then progress to this color. (Click the link above to get a description.)

I meant to get pictures of it today but we were so busy outdoors cleaning up (finally) that I didn’t get a chance but I’ll have a shot soon. Basically, it’s already about 14″ tall, very bushy and dense, so I didn’t feel too bad about dropping $22 on just that one plant, because it’s so well established. It will be going in probably late tomorrow afternoon, to join the other Hellebores in the Woodland Garden.

We also found another small Trillium plant, a couple of deep red oriental poppies I had to grab and a pot of Primroses … the odd lot that had two together, both red and blue, so that had to come home with us as well.

Once we got home, we set about digging the innumerable dandelions and other trees (Maples) and weeds out of the front boulder bed and planting the 54+ snapdragons that came home with Fernymoss on Friday night. So there’s a lot of instant color that just occurred this weekend … and I vow to get some pictures Monday after work, since I didn’t get around to it on Sunday. There was just too much going on this weekend….

delphiniums favorite store, hellebores, toy aisle, woodland garden

Karl Foerster gilt zu Recht als Vater des modernen Rittersporns. Die neuen Sorten waren nicht nur witterungsbeständiger, straffwüchsiger und krankheitsresistenter als ihre Vorgänger, sie brachten wie keine andere Prachtstaude das „wahre Blau“ in die Beete. Doch bis ,Berghimmel’, ,Gletscherwasser’ oder ,Finsteraarhorn’, die bis heute jeden Ritterspornfan begeistern, in den Handel gelangten, waren jahrelange Sichtungs- und Selektionsarbeiten nötig.

Auch nach Foersters Tod sollte sein Leitspruch „Kein Jahr mehr ohne blaue Gartenfortschritte“ nicht verklingen. Im nunmehr volkseigenen Betrieb wurde unter Konrad Näser intensiv weitergezüchtet. Um 1980 selektierte Gerda Roggenbuck eine kompakte, selbst nach starken Regenfällen noch standhafte Sorte, die durch tief violettblaue Blüten, ausgewogenen Wuchs und hohe Vitalität überzeugte. Im Gegensatz zu Foersters Auslesen, bei denen es sich vornehmlich um Hohen Rittersporn (Delphinium x elatum) handelt, gehört die reichblütige ‚Atlantis’ zu den Verzweigten Ritterspornen (Delphinium Belladonna), die sich erst nach 1970 gärtnerisch durchsetzen konnten. Sie zeichnet sich durch niedrigeren Wuchs und ein breiteres klimatisches Einsatzgebiet aus. Insbesondere Letzteres erwies sich zur Jahrtausendwende als förderlich: Während bei den Hohen Ritterspornen bis heute eine unsichtbare Grenze zwischen dem „Kontinent“ und dem mehr maritim geprägten Großbritannien verläuft, die unabhängige Sortimente jenseits des Ärmelkanals mit sich bringt, konnte mit der etwa einen Meter hoch werdenden ‚Atlantis’ erstmals ein deutsches Gewächs die Gärtner der Insel überzeugen. 2001 erhielt die Bornimer Selektion den „Award of Garden Meriet“ (AGM), mit dem herausragende züchterische Fortschritte durch die königliche Gartenbaugesellschaft RHS gewürdigt werden.

Rittersporne der Belladonna-Gruppe eignen sich für die Pflanzung zwischen andere Prachtstauden. Sie lieben humusreiche Beete, können aber auch an naturnäheren Sonnenplätzen im Garten gedeihen, die nicht zu trocken sind. Ein Rückschnitt (eine Handbreit über dem Boden) nach der Blüte im Juni/Juli fördert das erneute Blühen im September.

Den fünften Teil lesen Sie am

30. Juni – zur Scabiose ‚Blaues Siegel’. (JR)

delphiniums agm, insel, karl foerster, konrad, meter hoch

Add Color To Your Garden With Blue Perennial Flowers

Posted on the March 28th, 2010 under Delphiniums by admin

Blue flowers are some of the most striking plants around and can add a rich splash of color to any garden. Plant them in a cluster of all blue or mix them in with other flowers for a rainbow of color.

When planting flowers, it is important to remember to follow the instructions on the tag for the plant. Always buy plants that will thrive in the conditions in which you intend to grow them. A plant that loves sun won’t do well in a shady area and you will only be disappointed with the results.

When planning your garden, be aware of the bloom time of the flowers. Planting perennials with different bloom times near each other will insure a garden that has blooms all season long. Remember also to plan for the height of the plants, putting the taller ones in the back.

Below is a list of favorite blue flowering plants that you might want to consider for your garden:

Polemonuim, Blue Pearl – A compact plant with deep sky blue flowers that grows to 10?. It blooms in late spring to early summer. Plant in partial shade and in well drained soil.

Blue Sea Holly – This dramatic plant has a lavender blue cone like flower with long spiked petals. It grows to 30? and is a favorite for dried flower arrangements. Plant in full sun – blooms in mid to late summer.

Delphinium, Butterfly Blue – Bright blue delicate flowers adorn this plant that blooms in early to mid summer. It reaches 10? tall and prefers a sunny location with rich moist soil.

Campanula, Blue Carpet – Bright blue to lilac colored flowers bloom for weeks in the middle of summer. This low growing perennial grows to 4? and prefers full sun with well drained soil.

Penstemon, Blue Buckle – This plant has tubular shaped blooms in blue to purple and flowers in mid summer to early fall. It grows to 15? and likes well drained soil with full or partial sun.

Hydrangea, Nikko Blue – Gigantic clumps of blue flowers adorn this shrub for most of the summer. In the fall, the flowers turn a golden color. This plant is a new variety that prefers rich soil but will grow in shade, partial sun or full sun.

Vinca – Medium blue flowers and glossy green leaves form a carpet that grows to about 6? tall and blooms in mid spring. This plant will grow in most soil conditions, in the shade or sun.

Ajuga, Bronze Beauty – This short bushy plant has spikes of blue flowers that grows quickly. Great as a ground cover or in raised beds. It blooms in spring and prefers a shady area.

Scabiosa, Butterfly Blue – A bushy perennial with lavender blue flowers that bloom from June to October. This plant likes full sun and attracts butterflies and hummingbirds.

Verbena, Babylon Blue – Blue purple flowers petals adorn this plant that blooms in early spring. Great for window boxes and planters.

delphiniums compact plant, deep sky, delicate flowers, sunny location