Delphinium Mix

On Arrival:

• Open your package straight away and check the bare roots.
• Soak the roots in a bucket of clean, cool water for 2-3 hours to rehydrate them.
• If you can't plant immediately, keep the roots wrapped in damp newspaper or covered in moist compost, stored in a cool, frost-free spot for a few days at most.

Planting:

• Choose a sunny, sheltered location with fertile, well-drained soil. Delphiniums thrive with a bit of shelter from strong winds because of their tall flower spikes.
• Enrich the planting area with garden compost or well-rotted manure to give them a strong start.
• Dig a hole wide enough to spread out the roots. Place the crown (where the shoots meet the roots) at soil level, backfill with soil, and firm in gently.
• Space plants about 60-75cm apart, allowing them room to develop tall clumps.
• Water thoroughly after planting.

Aftercare:

• Keep the soil evenly moist while the plants establish in their first year.
• Once established, water during dry spells, especially in summer when the tall flower spikes are developing. Avoid waterlogging, which delphiniums dislike.
• When flowers start to emerge until the end of August, feed once per week with a potassium-rich liquid fertiliser.
• Deadhead faded flower spikes promptly to encourage a possible second flush of blooms later in the season.
• In late autumn, cut stems back to ground level once the foliage has died down.
• Mulch around the crowns in winter with compost or well-rotted manure to protect the roots and feed the soil.
• Taller stems may need staking during the growing season to keep them upright in windy weather.

Please allow us 3-5 working days to dispatch your order. Pre-ordered items will be sent as soon as possible after the date quoted and we'll generally ship your entire order with your pre-ordered items. When your order is dispatched, we'll send you another email with details of how to track it.

Most orders are sent on a fully-tracked courier service with Yodel. To avoid perishable items being stuck at depots and deteriorating, no signature is required, and our courier is asked to leave your order in a safe place on your property.

We'll send a tracking link when we dispatch your order, so you know when its due to arrive. Please note, once delivered we cannot be held responsible for loss or theft from your property. If you have any specific delivery instructions, please let us know - there's an option to enter a short message for the courier at the checkout.

Smaller, lighter, single-item orders may be sent through the post with Royal Mail - in which case no tracking is available.

Our experienced nursery team will always send your plants nursery fresh in the perfect condition to thrive when you plant them, so although most plants are very tough and will not be affected by all but the most extreme frosts or heatwaves, we avoid dispatching the most perishable plants if extreme weather is forecast, or over Bank Holiday weekends.

Please note, we cannot guarantee delivery on a certain day or time. Delivery to outlying postcode areas may take 1-2 days longer, dependent on your location.