Larkspur
White Larkspur was Ben’s Great Auntie Macassar’s most favourite annual cut flower. She had a long, thin garden and would line the edge of her winding path (that wound all the way down to the River Shonk) with the bright spires.
One moonful night, a light aircraft mistook Auntie M’s planting for a runway… that was the first time her Consolida ambigua had been cut by an aileron. She instantly forgave the dashing and ruggedly handsome pilot, Scotty…. they spent one balmy evening under his silken parachute learning all about aviation & new seed sowing techniques. Some say this is where Mr Higgledy gets his love of Biggles books… and his middle name.
Seen above with Bell’s of Ireland, Fennel, Dill and Cosmos ‘Purity’, I’m sure you’ll agree Auntie Macassar was right about white Larkspur? Interestingly though, after that illuminating night, as though suffused with adventure, she switched her allegiance to Larkspur ‘Giant Imperial Mix’ and edged her winding path (that wound all the way down to the River Shonk) with colourful spires.
Growing Larkspur from seed
Growing Larkspur from seed couldn’t be easier. When I lived in Poppy Cottage, Fittlesword – I simple scattered a couple of packets in her borders and they throoped away with little attention. But there’s nothing like being a professional gardener growing cut flowers for other people that seems to focus the mind.
I sowed some Larkspur ‘Giant Imperial Mix’ underglass early April, pricked them out, potted them on and planted them in the cut flower patch two weeks ago.
This week, right next to the Larkspur’lings I sowed some seeds… let the research begin. Which method produces bushier specimens with more flowers?
Here’s Mr Higgledy’s guide to sowing Larkspur from seed, written I believe under a parachute, with a torch and Figrolls.
Larkspur in the vase
Tall, blowzy, frowzy and tousled – Larkspur definitely has her top two buttons undone and red bra strap showing.
Complete with her loose, fanciful foliage, she’s great for lofty drama.
Cut her stems at an angle, increases the surface area for water uptake and thus her misspent vase life.
Grown in the Original Higgledy Garden circa 2012, not even I, with my lexicon of flower colours can describe the Larkspur seen left, the one that isn’t purply-blue.
Can you?
I’m still in love with my petite Larkspur, Ammi majus and Sanguisorba threesome of last year… hubba hubba
Why Larkspur?
Larkspur flowers, illustrated here with a rather sumptuous photograph of a stem in bud, have spur’ry calyces (yes Ben, the plural of calyx, now finish your jigsaw).
Along with Delphinium, Larkspur is part of the Ranunculaceae (buttercup) family, native to Asia, the Med and W Europe – coincidently all places I like Mr H to send me packing to on a Higgledy plant hunt.
Like Auntie Maccasar, I have spent some time under a parachute, draped over trees… with a mushroom expert, a small fire and a frying pan. So it’s no surprise the swanky purple, lavished with opulant delft blue, Larkspur is my weakness… *wobbles 
Le Samedi fille
Karen, The Higgledy Researcher (AKA @sanguisorba)
Hello there,
I have 30 ‘Bee Friendly’ seed collections left from this season….there are only a couple of weeks left to sow them to ensure that they will flower this summer. I like to start the new season with fresh seeds so shall let these go at £5 instead of the usual £10….and that is 10 packets of top quality seeds!
Buy two sets of the seeds and I will send them without any shipping costs. This offer will end sometime on Monday morning…depending on what time I stumble out of bed.
View the ‘Bee Friendly’ Collection.
Have a great weekend.
Kind regards
Benjamin Ranyard
Great Uncle Hercules Twinkleton-Higgledy was shot down by the Red Baron whilst attempting a daring raid on a Jerry ammo depot in a de Havilland DH.98 Mosquito disguised as an ice cream van. He parachuted to safety, landing in the walled cut flower garden belonging to the glamourous Magdalena Von Hammerstein II.
She found him bruised and bleeding amongst the Rudbeckia and the pair instantly fell deeply and madly in love…she hid him for the remainder of the war and they grew flowers together and sang songs about brown paper parcels and string.
Hercules always maintained that the bright yellow of the rudbeckia had been his guide to safety on the perilous descent and when he returned to England with his beautiful bride he brought the seeds of the very same Rudbeckia he had landed on…’Irish Eyes…and it is the direct descendants of Magdalena’s seeds that we grow in the Higgledy Garden today.
God bless you Hercules!
Rudbeckia ‘Irish Eyes’ Seedling…just over a month old.
My seedlings have taken a while to get going this year…April was pretty chilly though..they are fine now…and it won’t be long before I plant them out.
How To Sow Rudbeckia ‘Irish Eyes’ From Seed.
*I always sow my Rudbeckia undercover…in a coldframe…on a windowsill…in a greenhouse…or all three.
*It makes life much easier if you sow in modules…in previous years I have always sown in modules with 15 cells (per standard seed tray size) but this year I threw caution to the wind and have sowed some in 40 cell trays…I know how to live.
*Only cover the seeds super lightly with your compost…or use a sprinkling of vermiculite if you are organised enough to have some.
*Nearly always you/I will sow too many seeds…they are tiny and the urge to sprinkle too heavily is irresistible…but you MUST thin these out to one seedling per cell.
*After about six weeks…and after the frosts have finished being boring and have naffed off back up to Lapland, then your seedlings can be planted outside.
Rudbeckia ‘Irish Eyes’
*Make sure they are planted in full sun.
*I plant mine to a foot…or perhaps a little more apart.
*Rudbeckia ‘Irish Eyes’ are fairly drought tolerant but they will need water whilst they are getting established.
*By cutting the blooms for the vase she will produce more flowers…we like this sort of behavior.
*If we have a VERY mild winter the plants may survive for another season…I am going to try fleecing a square metre of them this year as an experiment. (*geek.)
‘Irish Eyes’ is an outstanding cut flower…and with just a little effort you can have a good amount of plants that will provide lashings of flowers from mid summer through until the frosts.
Rudbeckia ‘Irish Eyes’
Top Rudbeckia trivia: Rudbeckia was named after the Swedish botanist Olaf Rudbeck…his life work was a series of awesome plant drawings…which all got burnt in a warehouse fire whilst poor old Olaf was still alive to see his achievements destroyed…Olaf is a hero of the Higgledy Garden…he would have got on well with Hercules I’m sure…
I sell Rudbeckia ‘Irish Eyes’ at £1.95 for 300ish seeds
Try growing and showing ‘Irish Eyes’ with Dill ‘Mammoth‘ (For some height interest)…and something citrus green to compliment the heat of the yellow/orange…Bupleurum would be good…or Nicotiana ‘Lime Green’…also use Blue flowers as an opposite…for some contrast…’Blue Ball’ cornflowers will rock with Rudbeckia…
Ipomoea Seedling. 26 days old.
Ipomoea ‘Heavenly Blue’ is a twining annual with heart-shaped leaves and funnel-shaped, sky-blue flowers up to 3 inches across, with delicate white throats. Happily this drop dead gorgeous plant is easily raised from seed.
Now…you may be thinking…how on earth can a climber like this be used in the cut flower garden?…and you would be quite right…the answer is tenuous. I can say that the flowers can be utilised by floating them in a bowl of water…which they can…and they look mighty fine…but the truth of the matter is that Ipomoea ‘Heavenly Blue’ is one of my favourite annuals of all time…and this is my site…my shop…so it’s going in! 
Ipomoea Heavenly Blue Flowers.
Native to Central America our climbing friend likes her sunshine…and loathes a cold wind….so it is a MUST that she is homed in a warm and sheltered position.
How To Grow Ipomoea ‘Heavenly Blue’ From Seed.
*I sow the seeds in April/May. Either in fibre pots (preferable) or individual modules or pots…Ipomoea hates root disturbance…even when quite small.
*Sow seeds to about three times their width (as with most seeds) in good quality seed compost or sieved homemade compost.
*Seedlings must not be planted out until all threat of frost has passed.
*Space the seedlings to about 10cm apart against a trellis or next to canes etc.
*They need a soil that has good drainage…clay isn’t their favourite stomping ground.
*Despite need ing good drainage, you should ensure the ground they are in doesn’t dry out too much…keep it moist when possible.
*Dead head the spent flowers and she will keep flowering all summer long…from July until October.
*In the right conditions the plant can reach three metres.
I am experimenting this year by trying to grow them up Sunflower ‘Earthwalkers’ and also up Ricinus ‘Impala‘…I think the bright blue will look great against the bronze foliage of Ricinus…and…nothing ventured, nothing gained.
I sell Ipomoea ‘Heavenly Blue’ seeds at £1.95 for 75ish seeds.
Other annuals climbers worth having a look at are the wonderful and majestic ‘Cobaea Scandens‘ and the exotic and somewhat saucy Mina Lobata.
Best wishes.
Benjamin Higgledy.
Dear old Mary Jackpot-Higgledy used to look after the esteemed physic garden of East Grinstead in the middle ages. She grew rows of Feverfew to quell the migraines of the well to do Sussex folk…people also said she had the finest ankles in the provinces.
Mary made sure that her Feverfew seed was passed down the generations of Higgledy growers until eventually it has reached yours truly…and my what a gem it is.
Feverfew ‘Jackpot’ is super easy to grow from seed….and if you wish to have armies of the delightful plants then your dreams can be realised.
Feverfew Seedling. (40 days old)
Feverfew is a perennial and herbaceous in habit. Once this little delight gets going she will return every year without fail and with very little in the way of attention. Very easy to please you might say.
Feverfew will flower from July to October with daisy-like flowerheads 2.5cm across, white rays and yellow disk florets.
The plant has a strong citrus odour and is one of the few flowers in the Higgledy Garden that the bees turn their noses up at…
I sow my feverfew seeds on the surface of compost…and simply keep it moist. You will find you have to thin out seedlings as you can’t put just a few in each pot or module…they are too tiny…I simply tease out…and then chuck away the excess…just leave one seedling per pot.
Feverfew Flowers
When you bear in mind these plants cost a fiver or more each from the garden centre….you can potentially have hundreds of the floriferous munchkins for under two quid! 
I sell Feverfew ‘Jackpot’ for £1.95 for 500ish seeds
Feverfew will add a light and airy vibe to your arrangements…and lend a cottage garden feel. I like showing them with Calendula ‘Indian Prince’ and Larkspur ‘Imperials’…this mix is very old school.
Feverfew Seeds
Everything is late this year…I expect some flowers from my feverfew…but next year it will really get going.
Feverfew and Mr Fly.
You will find Feverfew and all sorts of wonderful delights in the Higgledy Garden Seed Shop….please take a stroll through it…and spend lots and lots of money.
Best wishes.
Benjamin Higgledy
Follow Me
-
