Delphinium 'Summer Skies' Seeds
If you want to create a show-stopping cottage garden, you need height, and nothing provides it quite like a Pacific Giant Delphinium. 'Summer Skies' is widely considered the most beautiful blue variety, producing towering, sturdy spikes (up to 1.8m) packed with large, semi-double flowers in the clearest shade of azure-blue, each with a crisp white "bee" in the centre.
These are architectural giants that demand attention. Blooming in early summer (June/July), they create a spectacular vertical backdrop for roses and peonies. They are also superb cut flowers—just one stem is enough to create a dramatic arrangement.
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🌿 Understanding the Plant
Delphinium is a Hardy Perennial (often treated as short-lived, lasting 3-5 years).
It dies back to the ground in winter and re-emerges in spring with vigorous new growth.
The Pacific Giant Advantage: This strain was bred in California specifically to have stronger stems and larger flowers than the wild species, making them better suited to garden borders, though they will still need staking!
Safety Note: All parts of the Delphinium plant are toxic if ingested. Wash hands after handling seeds or plants.
🌱 Growing Guide: How to Sow and Grow
Delphinium seeds can be temperamental if they get too warm.
The "Fridge Trick": Heat dormancy is common. For best results, place the seed packet in your fridge for 7 days before sowing to wake them up.
Germination:
Sow indoors from February to June, or Sept-Oct. Sow on the surface of moist compost and cover very lightly (they need darkness to germinate). Keep cool (15-18°C)—a hot windowsill will kill them! Germination takes 14-28 days.
Where to Sow:
They need full sun and rich, fertile soil. Dig in plenty of manure before planting.
Care While Growing:
Slugs: Slugs adore young delphiniums. You must protect them with grit, wool pellets, or traps as soon as you plant them out.
Staking: These are giants. Stake them early with sturdy canes to prevent summer storms snapping the hollow stems.
📋 Plant Specifications
| Latin Name | Delphinium elatum |
| Common Name | Delphinium 'Summer Skies' |
| Hardiness | H5 (Hardy Perennial) |
| Light Required | Full Sun ☀️ |
| Height | ↕️ 1.5m - 1.8m (Giant) |
| Spread | ↔️ 60cm - 75cm |
| Spacing | 🌱 75cm apart |
| Great for | 🏰 Back of Border ✂️ Dramatic Cut Flowers 🐝 Bees 🏡 Cottage Gardens |
| Seed Count | Approx. 50 seeds per packet |
🤝 Perfect Garden Companions
Delphiniums need neighbours to hide their lower leaves and support their colour:
- 🌹 Shrub Roses: The Classic English Pair. Pale pink roses (like 'Gertrude Jekyll') look exquisite against the azure blue of 'Summer Skies'. The roses also help hide the gap at the base of the Delphinium stems.
- 🟡 Achillea 'Cloth of Gold': The Shape Contrast. The flat, horizontal plates of yellow Achillea contrast perfectly with the vertical blue spikes of the Delphinium. Blue and Yellow is a timeless, high-energy summer combination.
📅 Sowing & Flowering Calendar
Sow indoors in spring or autumn. Flowers June-July (often with a second flush in Sept).
| Month | J | F | M | A | M | J | J | A | S | O | N | D |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sow Indoors | 🟢 | 🟢 | 🟢 | 🟢 | 🟢 | 🟢 | ||||||
| Flowers (Yr 2+) | 🌸 | 🌸 | 🌸 |
🏆 Officially Recognised Excellence
The Second Flush: If you cut the main flower spike down to the ground immediately after it fades in July, and feed the plant well, it will often produce a second flush of smaller blue flowers in September!
- Regular price
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£3.40 - Regular price
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- Sale price
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£3.40
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