Larkspur Limelight Mix

The workhorse colour mix: carmine, dark blue, light blue, pale pink, lilac and rose on slender spires of 90 to 120cm, fully double and ruffled, flowering June through August. Every plant is slightly different, so a row reads as a tapestry rather than a block.

If you grow one larkspur for the cutting patch, this is the sensible choice. The mix gives enough range to build different arrangements from a single row, the stems hold seven to ten days in water, and the dried petals are the traditional wedding confetti.

Two habits worth knowing. Cut the main central stem first, when about a third of its flowers are open, and the plant throws side branches with their own spikes, which extends the harvest by weeks. And unlike most hardy annuals it is hungry, so ground with well-rotted compost dug in gives noticeably thicker spires.

Sow it covered rather than on the surface, because the seed needs darkness. Freeze the packet for a week first to break dormancy, and sow where it is to grow, since the taproot resents moving. All parts are toxic if eaten, so wash your hands after handling.