FLOWERS FOR TFIE HARDY GARDEN 



13 



Delphinium 



Hardy Larkspurs 



Out of the great list of garden plants, four families 

 stand preeminent: Peonies, irises, phloxes and 

 lastly. Delphiniums — the queen of blue flowers, and 

 to my mind, at least, the loveliest of hardy plants. 

 The qualities that lift the Delphinium out of the 

 rank and hie are, first, hardiness and rapidity of 

 growth; second, length of blooming period; third, 

 the beauty and distinctly decorative quality of 

 their form and outline; and, last, and most impor- 

 tant, the rare richness and delicacy of their coloring. 

 Their only defects are a decided brittlencss of stem, 

 and an aversion to soil that contains any fresh 

 manure, or is sour and poorly drained. 



The name Delphinium is of Greek origin, and 

 means "dolphin flower," from its supposed resem- 

 blance to that foh — a resemblance that is more 

 apparent in the buds than in the fully opened (lowers. 

 The English name Larkspur, which is less used than 

 formerly, refers to the short tail or spur that projects 

 backward from the center of the flower. 



A few forms of the Delphinium have been known 

 and prized for many years — they are mentioned by 

 Parkinson and other early writers on flower-garden- 

 ing as being favorites even in their time. Neverthe- 

 less, it is only within the last generation that, 

 by elaborate cross-breeding and selection, the 

 Delphinium has been brought to its present high 

 standard. And it is only within the last couple 

 of years that Americans have begun to appreciate 

 the many wonderful varieties introduced by such 

 firms as Ruys & Van Veen, of Holland, and Kelway 

 & Son, of England. In the latter country par- 

 ticularly, Delphiniums are universally esteemed; 

 every plantsman lists dozens, and some even hun- 

 dreds of varieties. 



The Delphinium is one of the few plants that 

 possesses a stately upright growth without the least 

 suggestion of stiffness. Its whole form is notably 

 decorative, from the rich, acanthus-like foliage 

 clothing the tall, stout stems, to the tapering spires 

 of blossoms above. It gives splendid effects in 

 formal gardens, its decided vertical lines partic- 

 ularly adapting it for planting at gates and entrances 

 near the pillars of summer-houses, at the junctures 

 of paths, etc. Without the Delphinium, the color- 

 range of our (lower-borders would be sadly limited. 

 Not only do they furnish our main reliance in blue, 

 but they furnish it in every conceivable shade from 

 the palest and most transparent azure through all 

 the gradations of tone to the deepest sapphire and 

 indigo, not only in self-colors, but in some lovely 

 opalescent shades — pale blue clouded with rose, 

 like a bit of iridescent shell. Besides the blues, and 

 often combined with them in the same flower, there 

 are deep purples, violets, lilacs, lilac-pinks, laven- 

 ders and even whites, while in some of the species 

 there is even an occasional yellow and scarlet. A 

 special feature of the flowers is the small eye-like 

 center petals, which may be either blue, white, yellow, 

 brown or black, and which always have the effect 

 of intensifying the color by their contrast. Such a 

 range of color-tones, of course, supplies a wealth of 

 material for artistic use in the garden, especially as, 

 even at its poorest, the Delphinium has at least two 

 blooming periods. The accepted companion for the 

 Larkspur is the pure white Lilivm candidum, and 

 this combination always gives an effect that is as 

 lovely as it is easy to achieve. Pale salmon-pink 

 snapdragons, Aquiiegia cbrysuntha, Tbermppsis Caro- 



Unless otherwise noted, all plants in this cat 



The splendid decorative effect of the stately larkspur 



liniana and any of the more delicate shades in 

 phloxes, such as Elizabeth Campbell, Eugene Dan- 

 zanvilliers, iVlme. Patil Dutrieand Miss Lingard, arc 

 all good companions among the taller plants, while 

 among the lower growers that can be used as a frame 

 or setting to the Delphiniums are the dwarf phlox. 

 Tapis Blanc, QZnolhera Missouriensis, Achillea, The 

 Pearl, and, among annuals, ageratum, Phlox Drum- 

 mondii, pale yellow nasturtiums and white petunias. 

 However, these are only suggestions: every gardener 

 can work out others for himself. I n the mixed border, 

 Delphiniums are perhaps better in isolated groups of 

 several plants of a color than in very large masses, 

 unless a bed is devoted entirely to them. In this 

 case, the freest blooming sorts, like Belladonna 

 scmiplenum should be used. 



CuLTUKii. — Delphiniums do best in lull sun, in a 

 deep, well-dug soil, with plenty of fertilizer. I low- 

 ever, as they dislike any manure that has not been 

 very well rotted, it is just as well to do without 

 animal fertilizer altogether, applying it instead in 

 the form of bone-meal, which always gives excellent 

 results. Mature plants should have a. space of 2 

 feet, and it is well not to crowd them the first year 

 if a rapid development is wished for. Keep the 

 ground around them well stirred, or else mulch 

 with a couple of inches of lawn-clippings or old 

 manure — any means to keep the soil from baking 



dog, 15 cts., each, $1.50 per doz., $10 per 100 



