AUTUMN DELPHINIUMS.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 20022, 12 February 1927, Page 3

AUTUMN DELPHINIUMS.

Delphiniums have in rerent years mim siroutrlv into favour as one of our brightest; a nr! most attractive, of summer flowers. Anyone who has had the good fortune to bn present at the more recent shows of the Koyal Horticultural Society at which delphiniums have been massed have been surprised at tile wonderful development in these flowers in both size of individual blooms and the extraordinary variations in colour. The present season in Dunedin has also seen the advent of delphiniums raised from the best of English seed that would even stand comparison with some of the best of (he blooms shown at Vincent Square. It is therefore interesting to loam from a contribution to a recent number of the Gardeners’ Chronicle that the flowering period of the delphinium can be prolonged well into autumn. We republish from the Chronicle its contributor’s article as under, merely reminding our readers that the names of the months must be changed to suit antipodean seasons.

“It is possible to have an exceedingly bright bed or border of the ever popular delphinium in bloom from duly till early October by a careful utilisation of seedlings. Wo have been very .-uceessful this season, even (hough the silo chosen proved to be very dry by reason of the warm and rainless Sept ember. “The seeds were sown In heat in February, and so soon as tho seedlings could be handled they were pricked out into largo boxes. These receptacles were about 4in deep. Two inchi-s of old manure was 0 1 1 i.i the bottom of (he box and a mixture of loam, leaf mould, and sand used to complete the tilling. “Tbo seedlings were placed Sin apart and kept in heat for a few weeks; afterwards they were gradually hardened and the boxes were placed in the open by early May. Planting in the prepared border was done in mid-May, in rows 15in apart, the plants being put 9in apart in flip rows. “Karl.v slaking is important, and when mildew develops, as it is. bound to do on many plaids, dusting with sulphur will cheek it. The best possible strain of seed is all-important, and then the expectation of really good hybrids js hound to be realised. Our plants, this autumn, have given ’ s splendid colours, and quite a number nrodured good spikes of cream flowers. Dip clumps from now onward are useful for planting in masses anywhere, and the host will he planted in the permanent herbaceous border.’’