How I Finally Grew Delphiniums Successfully in the UK

Delphiniums are not considered impossible to grow in the UK, but for a casual gardener (ie lazy) they can prove to be something of a challenge. So, I’m more than happy to have had my second year of beautiful delphinium spikes in the garden. However, it was a bit of a slog getting to this point! As you can see from the picture above, this year they are already in full bloom. OK, some members of the RHS might sniff a little, but I am very happy with their iridescent blueness – a very cheery addition to the garden. However, not every year has been as happy as this… The pictures are all from May 2026. The first year I tried to grow delphiniums, I bought them from seed and followed all of the instructions to the letter. The seedlings poked up, had a look around and in a fit of flowery nihilism, decided it wasn’t worth the bother hanging around. I think perhaps I tried to look after them too much - maybe I overwatered them or just simply put them off existing by my overexcitement at their…