Last week when I visited my parents I noticed some very tall flowers growing in their next-door neighbour’s garden. At first I thought they might be Gladioli, but after asking Mum she informed me they were Larkspur. They were nearly as tall as the shed!
If you were born in the month of July, you may know that the birth-flower for this particular month is the Delphinium. The common name of the Delphinium is Larkspur.
I remember from my gardening days, Delphiniums are not the easiest plant to grow ~ due to their height, they can be easily flattened by wind or rain, and they prefer moist, cool summers so need special attention in hot, dry weather ~ and so I avoided them. But if successfully grown they look absolutely stunning; especially in cottage gardens. There are plenty of colours to choose from ~ take a look at the RHS website for an extensive list of varieties. There are some great names too – from Tiddles to Galileo to Sunkissed. These three mentioned have all received the Award of Garden Merit from the Royal Horticultural Society, so would be good choices to make (if you like the particular colour, that is!).
Butterflies and bumble bees are attracted to Delphiniums and they are used as food by some species. However, all parts of the Larkspur are toxic to humans, so do make sure you are careful when handling this plant. The juice of the flowers is used to make blue ink.
Plants, or even seeds, make a wonderful birthday gift for a member of the family, or even a friend. Choosing the plant to match the month is also a great idea and shows you’ve given it some thought.
And if you’ve forgotten their birthday or have no spare money to spend, you could always set up a family quiz night. Here at Education Quizzes we have a Specialist section which is totally free to play. Subjects include Art, Gardening, Nature and Books.