GARDENING : Delphiniums Stand Tall and Dry With Dignity

When it comes to bold, beautiful blossoms, it’s hard to beat eye-catching delphiniums. They grow in vibrant shades of blue, purple, lavender, white, pink and yellow and consist of spikes with individual stems of single flowers.

Because varieties of delphinium plants can grow anywhere from 1 1/2 to 6 feet tall, they often provide a vertical accent to flower gardens. Their spikes also make beautiful additions to both fresh and dried flower arrangements. Sometimes confused with larkspur (an annual), delphiniums grow as perennials.

Delphiniums grow best in areas washed with lots of water and sun but have difficulty thriving through hot, dry summers.

Plant delphiniums in well-drained, loamy soil about 12 inches apart for smaller varieties and 20 inches apart for larger ones. Allowing space between the plants lets the air circulate better, helping prevent mold, mildew and other diseases.

Delphiniums provide an attractive background for smaller plants, although you can incorporate some of the smaller varieties in the middle of your flower garden. For best results, stake larger delphinium varieties while they’re still young and before the wind has had a chance to bend them. A single bamboo or wire stake for each plant should provide plenty of support.

Delphiniums typically bloom in early summer. Cut each spike when most of the flowers have developed but before the bottom blossoms start to fall off. If you cut the bloom stalks down to ground level after the spikes have finished blooming and before they seed, most delphinium varieties will bloom again in late summer or early fall.

Although fragile, delphiniums hold color well. You can successfully preserve them by air-drying, using desiccants or pressing.

If you air-dry delphiniums, hang individual spikes upside down, then group them into bunches after they’ve dried. (If you try to dry delphiniums in bunches, you’ll probably crush the fragile blossoms). To preserve delphiniums in silica gel, lay the spikes horizontally in crystals, then gently cover them with more crystals.

Large delphinium blossoms make perfect additions to oversize arrangements and crafts projects or to add height to smaller ones. What’s more, their deep colors provide focal points for groupings of pale flowers or dried grasses. You can best work delphiniums into small arrangements by using individual flowers rather than a whole spike.