Larkspur Crown Blend

Larkspur Crown Blend produces tall, strong stems topped with a riot of large, vibrant blooms in a mix of colours. It’s one of the best types for fresh cut flowers and holds up well in the vase. The blooms can also be dried for later use.

🌸 Flowering: July to September

📏 Height: to 120cm

🌿Annual

SOW: stant seeds outdoors from March to May where you want the plants to grow and flower. You can also sow in August or September and let them overwinter — they’re hardy enough for that. Germination usually takes about 3–4 weeks.

If you want a head start, you can sow in seed trays too — see below for how to do that. This method also lets you sow later, from September through to December.

GROW: once they’re growing well, thin or transplant to around 40–50cm apart. They’re tall plants and will usually need a bit of staking or support. Larkspur does well in most garden soils and is happy in sun or part shade.

Keep deadheading back to the smaller flowering side shoots — it’ll help encourage more blooms through the season.

ENJOY: pick larkspur early in the day when the flowers are just opening. Strip most of the leaves and stand the stems in deep water for a few hours before arranging. They’ll last around 10 days in a vase and can also be dried for later use.

SOWING IN SEED TRAYS

For spring sowing

• Fill small seed trays with seed compost
• Surface sow the seeds, then lightly cover with vermiculite
• Place the tray in a polythene bag and pop it in the fridge for 3 weeks
• After chilling, move to a warm spot (15–18°C) out of direct sunlight
• The seeds need this cold then warmth to get going.
• Once seedlings appear, prick out and pot on as needed
• Harden off and plant out after the last frost in May
• From sowing to flowering takes around 5 months

For autumn sowing (Sept–Dec)

• Sow in trays and don’t bag them
• Leave somewhere dry and frost-free (shed or garage is ideal)
• In early spring, when you see green shoots, start watering gently
• Move to a bright, frost-free spot
• Once big enough and frosts are past, harden off and plant out
• Autumn sown plants usually flower earlier the following year