Delphinium Giant Pacific Mixed Seeds by Kirchhoffs.

Kirchhoffs Delphinium Giant Pacific Mixed Seeds produce tall cottage-garden spikes in mixed shades of blue, purple, lavender, pink and white. These are traditional back-of-border plants with massive flower columns on robust stems, also excellent as cut flowers. In South Africa they are usually grown as spring/summer bloomers (short-lived perennials in cooler gardens, annuals in hot areas). Seed can be slow and irregular, so start in trays. Rich soil gives the best spikes. The packet notes mid-summer sowing; Kirchhoffs’ catalogue lists spring to autumn, full sun, germination in 14–21 days and flowering in about 100–150 days. Sow about 3 mm deep. Space mature plants 30–50 cm apart and stake the tall stems. Height is typically 1.2–1.8 m.

Keep seed moist but not soggy at about 15–20 °C. Fresh seed germinates more reliably. Shelter from strong wind, water regularly and feed a rich, well-drained bed. All parts of delphinium are toxic if eaten - grow as an ornamental only and keep away from pets and children who might nibble plants.

Best time to plant in South Africa:

• Most gardens: late summer to autumn (about January–April) so plants establish in cool weather and bloom in spring; or early spring after frost.
• Packet note: mid-summer sowing in trays.
• Cooler Highveld / southern Cape: autumn and early spring both work; plants may return for a second season.
• Hot Lowveld / subtropical areas: treat as an annual; sow for a cool-season display and give afternoon shade in heat.

Avoid baking midsummer beds unless seedlings are shaded and kept evenly moist. Stake before spikes get heavy.

What these seeds can be used for:

• Tall mixed-colour flower borders and cottage gardens
• Cut-flower arrangements (long spikes)
• Back-of-bed height and “blue” in the colour scheme
• Cool-season display in hot regions; short-lived perennial in cooler regions

Interesting fact about Giant Pacific delphiniums:

Giant Pacific delphiniums were bred in California by Frank Reinelt, who wanted tall, seed-grown spikes with the rich blues that are rare in the flower world. The mix you get in a Kirchhoffs packet is not one fixed colour: plants from the same sowing can open blue, purple, lavender, pink or white, often with a pale “bee” in the centre of each floret. That is why a single packet can fill the back of a border with a whole cottage-garden palette instead of a single shade.

In South Africa these plants are a useful cheat for height. They can reach 1.2–1.8 m in one cool season if you start seed in trays (germination is slow and uneven) and plant them into rich, moist soil out of strong wind. In hot gardens they behave like annuals; in cooler Highveld or southern Cape beds they may return for a second flush. The same long stems that make them dramatic in the garden also last well in a vase - which is why florists still rely on Pacific-type spikes when they need vertical blue. All parts of the plant are toxic if eaten, so treat them as ornamentals only.