Delphinium Summer Skies seeds - Perennial larkspur

Delphinium 'Summer Skies' is a tall perennial larkspur, prized for its luminous sky-blue flowers with a white eye, tightly packed on spikes that dominate borders. Belonging to the excellent Pacific Giants series, it combines the vigour of large delphiniums with a colouring that is easy to pair in the garden or in a vase. This variety, offering generous and extended flowering, is perfect for creating romantic borders and flower arrangements with a blue theme.

This hybrid delphinium belongs to the Ranunculaceae family and is grown as a short-lived herbaceous perennial. The plant anchors itself on a fleshy crown, from which a bundle of thick, fibrous roots emerges, sensitive to excess stagnant water. In spring, the deciduous foliage emerges from the soil in a rosette. The large, medium to bright green leaves are palmate, cut into lobes reminiscent of some maples and slightly downy. They form a 40 to 60 cm wide clump. At the end of spring, upright flowering stems rise from this clump to between 1.50 and 1.80m tall, even up to 1.75m for well-established plants. The inflorescences are large, dense spikes, composed of numerous semi-double to double, 5-7cm diameter flowers. They display a range of light blue to lavender-blue tones, sometimes washed with deeper shades at the centre of the petals; the central 'eye' is white or cream, sometimes simply paler. The main flowering occurs from June to July. If the spikes are pruned just above a fine rosette of leaves, the plant often offers a lighter repeat flowering in August-September. The flowers are visited by many pollinators, particularly bees and bumblebees, attracted by the nectar nestled at the base of the spur.

A little history: the Pacific Giants series was developed for cut flowers and large mixed borders. 'Summer Skies' is one of the most sought-after for its light blue colouring, which contrasts sharply with the darker tones of other delphiniums. Distributed by several international seed houses, this line is capable of flowering from the first year from an early sowing, which has greatly contributed to its popularity.

Place Delphinium Pacific Giants 'Summer Skies' at the back of a border or in the middle of a bed. Three or five plants grown in a group produce a beautiful blue wave in the garden at rose season. You can plant it behind a pale apricot English rose Claire Austin®, and pair it with a cloud of gypsophila 'Snowflake'. To extend the flowering period of your border, consider achillea 'Moonshine', with its soft yellow, and Nepeta 'Walker's Low'.