Gotta Garden

Tuesday, May 29, 2007

Larkspur aka Bunny-in-a-Basket

I'm way behind (where I'll probably stay until winter!), but wanted to share with you a favorite reseeding annual. Larkspur doesn't transplant well, but once you establish it in your garden, it crops up most delightfully here and there. We can't grow delphiniums well here (too hot in the summer), but we make do with our larkspur. Take a peek with me, look at those blossoms...do you see the bunnies??


You'll never look at it the quite same way, will you!

7 comments:

Ki said...

I don't know what the difference is between a larkspur and a Delphinium? I have two Delphiniums that are no more than a foot tall that look like your larkspurs.

Carol Michel said...

I see the bunnies! I am mad at the bunnies in my garden, however.

Anonymous said...

I took a close look, and I see them now. How cute! Now all you need is a bat-faced cuphea to go with it.

kate said...

I wish I had larkspurs which self-seeded! I have Delphiniums though ... which grow well here, except for this year. They mustn't have liked all the snow we had this winter.

Loved the wabbits!

Melanie Chopay said...

Hooray, now I see the bunnies. I've always heard of them but never saw them before. I'll have to give Larkspur a try here someday.

Yolanda Elizabet Heuzen said...

Awwwww, how cute, widdle bunnies! Larkspur do not travel well, I had them in my previous garden but not in this one. Hmm,gotta buy a packet of seeds!

Gotta Garden said...

Hi Ki: My understanding is that Delphiniums are perennial and usually can be quite a bit taller and larger than larkspur. Same family, though. I actually have a few larkspur that are fairly tall this year, but that's unusual. The Delphiniums I have seen have been much more substantial. Larkspur is rather wispy and doesn't need staking. It will bloom, seed and disappear until next year.

I'll have to search my pictures. I'm thinking I saw Delphiniums at Chelsea last year and that they were awesome (as was most everything).

I'm thinking this isn't particularly helpful or informative to you. Sorry. Part of the reason is the larkspur I have didn't come from a packet where I could know exactly what it is. It has grown for years in the Mary Washington House Garden.

Hi Carol: Oh good! Yes, real bunnies are not welcome in gardens!

Hi Pam: Yes, I think I do! Lol! It's great to show little kids...those and snapdragons...they usually get a kick out of them.

Hi Kate: Oh, no comparison if you have Delphiniums! Delphiniums rule! We just make do with these...but I am rather fond of them.

Someone showed them to me years ago and I couldn't wait to grow some to show my daughter...however, by the time they became established, it wasn't a big deal to her!

Hi Melanie: It's true. I tried several times to establish them. I finally got a few seedlings to take, I think, by keeping their soil with them. I think that's where the spiderwort came from that popped up this year! Took a few years to show itself, but it's all around the MWH Garden as well. The spiderwort I can do without!

I have some in the backyard (not as many this year as I have weedwhacked a great deal) that came with a rooted fig cutting from the MWH. I was delighted to see them!

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